How a small beach town became a gay ‘safe haven’ in the 50s

"Men on the Beach," ca. 1950 (Photo: Cherry Grove Archives Collection)

In the summer of 1953, Audrey Hartmann was 23 years old and on vacation with friends. She was staying in Ocean Bay Park, a small beach town on Fire Island, 60 miles from New York City.

She’d heard whispers about a place down…