Jun 7, 2025 - Jul 31, 2025

In 1967, Don Ward opened the Diamond Lil Club, one of El Paso’s early gay bars. The space offered a lively refuge for the LGBTQ+ community when few others existed. Known for its charm and unapologetic authenticity, the Diamond Lil was more than a dive bar—it was a sanctuary, a place to dance, connect, and truly be yourself. In the pop-up exhibition, The Diamond Lil Club: Queer Nightlife and Community, 1960s-1980s, photographs of nights at the Diamond Lil, ranging from drag shows to community events, are paired with historical documents to showcase the beauty and belonging patrons found at the bar. Though it closed in 1986, the Diamond Lil’s legacy lives on as a trailblazer in El Paso’s Queer history.

Photographs taken by Don Ward, from the private collection of David Wilton.