Chicago gay bars over 50
“There was a great expense to get reopened, so funds went to that,” said Cohen, who was forced to shutter her bar again in November, when Philadelphia ordered a second shutdown.Īt least nine lesbian bars around the country launched fundraisers to stay afloat during the crisis.Įven in New York City, the last remaining lesbian bars are fighting to stay alive. She also received a small amount of assistance through the emergency relief program, but she said a large portion went to paying her staff, restocking alcohol that had gone bad and virus-proofing her bar with plexiglass and hand sanitizer wall units. Courtesy Elizabeth BoenningĬohen reopened her bar in September at limited capacity in compliance with government rules. “Business is still horrible.” Walker's Pint has been closed since March 17, 2020, on what would have been the city's popular St. “Things really haven't changed much,” said Boenning, who has had to cut the number of days and hours her bar is open. She said the bar reopened at the end of June in compliance with rules that limited capacity to around 50 percent. A number of the roughly 15 surviving lesbian bars have already reopened at limited capacity - like Walker’s Pint in Milwaukee, Wildrose in Seattle, Gossip Grill in San Diego, My Sister’s Room in Atlanta and Lipstick Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee - though it is unclear whether some that closed amid the pandemic will ever reopen.Įlizabeth “Bet-z” Boenning, who owns Walker’s Pint, Wisconsin’s only lesbian bar, said she received a small loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Program in the spring, just enough to cover expenses while the bar was closed under government-mandated lockdown orders for nonessential businesses. In many cities, bars are the only spaces where LGBTQ people can come together, but for queer women, these spaces are now almost nonexistent, leaving an already isolated community even more alone. Now, that number has dropped by at least one, with many others barely surviving.
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Just two months into the coronavirus pandemic, in early May of last year, NBC News reported there were only 16 lesbian bars left across the U.S., compared to about 1,000 bars that cater to gay men and mixed-gender LGBTQ crowds. The pandemic has exacerbated an already troubling trend for lesbian bars. Philadelphia's last lesbian bar, the Toasted Walnut. “There just takes a level of energy that I need to focus on that versus trying to fight this,” said Cohen, who permanently shuttered the Toasted Walnut in January. When she was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in December, she realized it was the end of her bar. Business was strong at the Toasted Walnut, Cohen said, until the pandemic struck last March, forcing her to temporarily shut its doors in compliance with government orders.īut $11,000 in rent was still due each month, and Cohen struggled to keep up. To see the complete list, go to BuzzFeed here.Cohen opened the Toasted Walnut in 2016, three years after Sisters Nightclub, then the city’s only lesbian venue, closed down. says about Sidetrack at 3349 N Halsted St, “Not only do they make a fierce Grey Goose dirty martini (Christina Aguilera dirty) but on Fridays for happy hour they have show tunes on the flat screens.” If you want to go to an adult bar, behave yourself and act your age, you’ve found your place.” If you want to walk in the door and not be greeted by someone with overly groomed eyebrows, a clipboard, and a lot of attitude, Marty’s is for you. says about Mart’s Martini Bar at 1511 W Balmoral Ave, “If you want an incredible martini, Marty’s is your destination.
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It’s the best queer party if you like to have a wild time, and sometimes we could all use some of that.” says about Big Chicks at 5024 N Sheridan Rd, “If you identify on the queer spectrum you have to check out FKA on the first Thursday of each month.
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Uptown’s Big Chick’s (which is located within the 48th Ward) listed at #16, Andersonville’s Marty’s Martini Bar listed at #17 and Boystown’s Sidetrack followed at #18. The results were determined by using an algorithm that looks at the star rating and number of reviews for each business. Now BuzzFeed with the assistance of Yelp, which publishes crowd-sourced reviews about local businesses, has put out a list of the top 50 gay bars nationally. Many members of the LGBTQ population first find their voices at gay bars, and Chicago has been at the forefront of change with its vibrant community. Though the Pulse Nightclub shooting tragedy last year horrified the country, it proved you cannot dampen the community’s beautiful, ongoing spirit through very difficult times.
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Gay bars have always been a safe place for the LGBTQ community to gather with friends and be themselves.