Photograph of drag queen, LaDiva Jonz, performing inside the Kings & Queens. LaDiva Jonz is mid-performance. She has her hands raised over her head. Behind her, blue and red reflective streamers decorate the walls. The photograph is taken from the audience. In the foreground, an audience member is seen from behind smoking a cigarette.

Photograph of drag queen, LaDiva Jonz, performing inside the Kings & Queens. LaDiva Jonz is mid-performance. Behind her, Blue and red reflective streamers decorate the walls. The photograph is taken from the audience.

Photograph of drag queen, LaDiva Jonz, performing inside the Kings & Queens. LaDiva Jonz is mid-performance and has her arms crossed and her hands on her hips. Behind her, Blue and red reflective streamers decorate the walls. The photograph is taken from the audience. In the background, Lee Daniels is seen standing off-stage.

Interview with Kohei Ishihara by Kelvin Yang. Ishihara is a founder of PrSYM (Providence Youth Student Movement) and the Movement Ground Farm in Tiverton; R.I. He identifies as a Japanese-American gay man. Topics in order of discussion include: growing up in Alexandria; Virginia including early social justice work and coming out senior year of high school; attending Brown University; establishing PrSYM and advocacy work with the Southeast Asian community; establishing the Movement Ground Farm and farming and food distribution as a social justice activity; being a queer person in farming and agriculture which are very heterosexualized industries. This interview was created as part of the Queering Oral History course - an oral history course at Brown University in Spring 2020 and taught by Dr. Virginia Thomas. Students were trained in oral history practices and interviewed members of the Rhode Island LGBTQIA community.

Photograph of two men in Halloween costumes inside the Kings & Queens. They are standing shoulder to shoulder and smiling at the camera. The man on the left side of the image is dressed as a knight and the man to the right of him is dressed as the devil. Behind them, Halloween decorations, skeletons, and skulls decorate the walls.

Photograph of the Pride=Power themed float by the Kings & Queens for the Pride Parade. This photo shows the Kings & Queens float marching down Exchange Street. The float is pulled by a red truck with a Kings & Queens playing cards logo. The float is a handmade lion coming out of a cage. Many of the people marching with the float are carrying pink triangles. This photo shows the float from behind.

Photograph of a float made by bar patrons and owner of the Kings & Queens for the Providence Pride Parade. This photo shows the float parked on the side of the road in Providence. The float is carrying a large group of people who are all smiling at the camera. The float is covered in silver and red tinsel and has red and blue balloons. On the front of the float a banner that reads "Kings a & Queens Gay Pride Woonsocket, RI" is present.

Photograph of the Pride=Power themed float by the Kings & Queens for the Pride Parade. This photo shows the Kings & Queens float parked on the side of the street. The photograph shows the float from the right side. The float is a handmade lion coming out of a cage. The sign above the float reads "Pride=Power." The sign on the side of the float reads "Hear us Roar."

Photograph of the first Kings & Queens float for a Pride Parade. The float is parked in Cathedral Square. The float is a car decorated with pink and purple balloons and streamers. The float has a sign on the passenger side door that reads "Kings & Queens Woon RI." This is also the first time the Kings & Queens had music in the Parade.

Photograph of the Pride=Power themed float by the Kings & Queens for the Pride Parade. This photo shows the Kings & Queens float following behind two people carrying a banner that says "Kings & Queens Gay Pride Woonsocket, RI." The photograph shows the float from the front. The float is pulled by a red truck. The float is a handmade lion coming out of a cage. Many of the people marching with the float are carrying pink triangles. The sign above the float reads "Pride=Power."

Photograph of the first float from the Kings & Queens in the 1987 Pride Parade. The photo is taken of the group leaving Fulton Street and heading onto Memorial Boulevard. Members of the group surrounding the float are carrying pink triangles. The float has a boom box on top and is playing music in the Parade for the first time.

Photograph of a group preparing the first Pride Parade float from the Kings & Queens in Cathedral Square before the 1987 Pride Parade. This candid photo shows various group members attaching balloons, streamers, and a sign to a car. The decorations being attached are pink and purple.

Photograph of the first Kings & Queens Pride Parade Float during the 1987 Pride Parade. This candid photo was taken of the float outside the former Paris Theater. The photo is shot from the passenger side door and shows three men around the float.

Photograph of Kings & Queens DJ, Dennis, on New Years' Eve embracing another man. Both men are smiling at the camera. Dennis is on the right side of the image and is wearing a blue plastic lei, a blue suit with a bowtie, and a red bow on his head.

Photograph of the Pride=Power themed float by the Kings & Queens for the Pride Parade. This photo shows the Kings & Queens float parked on the side of the street. The photograph shows the float from the driver's side. The float is pulled by a red truck with a Kings & Queens playing cards logo. The float is a handmade lion coming out of a cage. Many of the people marching with the float are carrying pink triangles. The sign on the side of the float reads "Hear us Roar."

Photograph of the Pride=Power themed float by the Kings & Queens for the Pride Parade. This photo shows four men holding the banner that is carried in front of the float. They are all wearing matching red visors. Two of the visors say "Pride" and two say "Power." The float is a handmade lion coming out of a cage.

Photograph of an award for the Kings & Queens bar owner, Kim Deacon. This award honors Kim's 25 years of service to the community. The award reads: "Honoring 25 years of service to our community Presented to Kim Deacon 1978-2003 We have been a guest in this house, mindful of our privilege and so filled with gratitude."

Photograph of an award for the Kings & Queens bar owner, Kim Deacon. This awards honors Kim Deacon's work with the Imperial Court of Rhode Island. The award reads: "May 15, 1999 Kim Deacon In Appreciation for your constant support of ideals and principles of Imperial Court of Rhode Island and lifelong involvement in the betterment of our community."

Photograph of Kings & Queens patrons out on a picnic in the Lincoln Woods. This photo shows Kim Deacon, owner of the Kings & Queens, on the left side of the image. She is hugging the former owner of the Kings & Queens, Rita Paux, who is in the center. On the right side of the image, June Dube, owner of Dube's, is present.

Photograph of four members of the Kings & Queens bowling team posing together in front of a bowling lane. They have their arms around each other and three of them are wearing matching shirts. From left: Kim Deacon, Denise Frescke, Louise Belisle, and Elle Straight.

Photograph of four members of the Kings & Queens bowling team posing together in front of a bowling lane. From left: Kim Deacon, unknown, Denise Ferske, and Louise Belisle. They are all wearing bowling shoes and the first three from left are wearing matching shirts.

Photograph of Kings & Queens bar owner, Kim Deacon (right), holding hands with Brian Perrico (Center) while roller skating together with a third man. The group are roller skating inside a roller rink. They are skating in a straight line.

Photograph of Kim Deacon holding a shaving cream pie and a stack of U.S. dollar bills. In front of her, a person who had just been pied in the face is bent over wiping her face off. This was an event to raise money for the Royal Court softball team.

Photograph of Kings & Queens bar owner, Kim Deacon. Kim is climbing a ladder outside of a house. There is a tray and bucket in her hand.

Photograph of Kings & Queens bar owner, Kim Deacon. Kim is climbing a ladder outside of a house. There is a tray and bucket in her hand.

Photograph of Kim Deacon walking in the Pride Parade behind the Kings & Queens' Pride=Power float. she is smiling and looking at the camera. In front and behind her, people are carrying pink triangles.

Photograph of Kim Deacon during the Providence Pride Parade. This is a candid photo showing Kim in Cathedral Square among the decorated cars and floats. She is wearing sunglasses and is standing at the trunk of the car that was the first Kings & Queens Pride Parade float.

Photograph of Kings & Queens bar owner and Royal Court softball team member Kim Deacon. This photo shows Kim Kneeling on the grass and smiling at the camera. Behind her, other members of the team are gathered outside, some seated and some standing.

Interview with Kim Deacon by Joe Saperstein. Topics of discussion include Rhode Island suburban gay bars, Disco, generational shifts, the King and Queens bar, martial arts, drag queens, bisexuality, covert gay bars in the 1940's, manufacturing, liquor licensing, lesbian bars, and building community.

Interview with Kim Deacon. Kim is a lesbian, community activist and previously the owner of the Kings and Queens Bar in Woonsocket. Topics in order of discussion include: limited opportunities for lesbians in Woonsocket; bar culture in the 70s and 80s; creating alternative social opportunities like roller skating, bowling, movie nights, softball; the bar as a sanctuary; fundraisers; first relationship with a woman; building her chosen family; bartending; dating culture for butch and femme lesbians; Kings and Queens bar; opening a martial arts studio; hosting parties at the bar; lessons learned after owing the bar. This interview was created as part of the Queer Stories Project - an oral history project developed by Dr. Virginia Thomas to train LGBTQIA young adults to conduct oral history interviews with LGBTQIA adults in Rhode Island. Management of the project was transferred to PPL in 2021. Queer Stories Project was funded by Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.