Bill Bernstein

One thing that struck me as I photographed the New York City Disco and Nightlife scene in the late 1970's was the inclusiveness and overall diversity and cultural mix of these clubs. I had never experienced a place where , Black, white, straight , LGBT, old, young, famous and not so famous all mixed so freely and without judgement. It was an culture that embraced acceptance and inclusion. It was something unseen by the world until recently.

"Be whoever you want to be". That seemed to be the mantra. Disco seemed so much more to me than the music, the dance, the celebrities or the drugs. It was a safe haven for anyone and everyone for freedom of self expression. This is what I was drawn to as a photographer. I didn't know it then, but now I see that this was a short lived peak at a world of acceptance that we now, in 2017, are just beginning to see happen in "the real world."