Sidetrack Owner and Social Reformer Art Johnston Speaks to Juniors

As part of the Thoreau Speaker Series, which welcomes someone who has been arrested in the name of social justice to speak to the junior class as part of their Civic Lab curriculum, Art Johnston told his story of love and social reform. As Upper School history teacher Andy Bigelow said in his introduction, “Art was arrested for simply being who he is.”

Johnston and his partner, Pepe “Pep” Peña, are the co-owners of Sidetrack, a well-renowned bar in the LGBTQIA+ community that started as a safe haven where people could be themselves without judgment—a radical idea at the time that led to Johnston’s arrest.

Johnston described his and Peña’s backgrounds in social justice. During the Castro revolution, Peña’s mother played a big part in getting people out of the country, and he was involved in the protest against anti-gay activist Anita Bryant in 1977.

The couple met, fell in love and opened Sidetrack in 1982 during the height of the AIDS epidemic. What started as a place of belonging quickly became a place of action. “The gay community learned through AIDS that we can rely only on each other,” Johnston said, “We made progress because we did it ourselves.”

Sidetrack helped mobilize the community in making real change. Johnston and Peña registered voters, rented buses that ran from the bar to rallies and ultimately became a political force. Candidates for various elections now frequently stop at Sidetrack on their campaign trails. “Our community used to be avoided, and now we are considered a prize voting block,” Johnston affirmed.

Johnston encouraged students to always raise their hands when something feels wrong. “If you want anything in this world, you need to do it yourself,” he said. “The tuition we pay is making the world better for those who come after this.”

People can learn more about Johnston and Peña’s story in the new documentary Art and Pep, available to stream on Peacock.

Click here to see photos.