By Alexa Back
In the 80s, lesbian bars saw peak performance, with about 200 bars nationwide. This number dropped in 2020 to fewer than 20, according to Greggor Mattson’s study, an associate professor of sociology at Oberlin College.
“If I were to guess, I thought there’d be more,” said Lauren Szwed, a junior at Emerson College.
A 2020-21 UCLA School of Law Williams Institute study found that 5.6% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+, which is 14.1 million people.
Gallup polls conducted between 2012 and 2017 found women more likely to come out than men, with 5.9% of women identifying as LGBTQ+ compared to 3.9% of men.
Yet, these statistics do not offer an explanation for the absence of lesbian bars.
Hannah Bossange, an Emerson College senior, experienced the Barcelona bar scene. Bossange believes gay bars are “more profitable” than lesbian bars because they are more party-oriented.“...it was more like a [chill] vibe. It was like we were hanging out at someone's house.”
Stacy Lentz, a champion of LGBTQ+ rights and co-owner of the Stonewall Inn—a gay bar and National Historic Landmark marking the site of the 1969 riots that ignited the gay rights movement, agreed with Bossange. “Gay male bars are predominantly driven by more of a hookup culture…lesbian bars tend to be more inclusive of everyone in the community, and also tend to be gathering points and community centers.”
The Truth Behind Lacking Bars
This issue stems from structural factors.
The disparity arises from the gender pay gap in the U.S. A 2022 Pew Research Center analysis found that women earn an average median income of 82% of what men earn. Consequently, gentrification and rising rent costs elucidate the reasons behind the closure of these bars, said author Krista Burton.
Businesses suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2019-23, the share of gay bars dropped from 44.6% to 24.2% percent, said Mattson’s study.
Filmmakers Elina Street and Erica Rose co-founded The Lesbian Bar Project (LBP) in October 2020. They created a public service announcement and fundraised $117,000. Activist Lentz met Street at the Stonewall Inn, offered mentorship, and got The LBP a deal with Jägrmeister to produce the PSA, intending to raise “awareness about the disappearance of lesbian bars across the United States,” stated The LBP’s website. The following year, The LBP released a short documentary about bar owners, activists, and patrons.
Film still from episode one “Saint Julie” of the docu-series. Photo by The Lesbian Bar Project.
“We organized a philanthropic effort to raise money for the bars to help them survive through COVID,” Street said.
The pair won a Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) award and an Emmy for one episode in the three-part series.
Film still from episode three “Coach A” of the docu-series. Photo by The Lesbian Bar Project.
“We wanted to use our tools as filmmakers to call to action. We weren't quite sure what The Lesbian Bar Project would become,” Street continued.
Now, Lesbian Bars are Back and on the Upswing
As a result of philanthropic efforts and the documentary, The LBP helped 31 bars thrive. “We raised almost $300,000 for the bars, and that just got evenly distributed back to the list of bars that we had,” Street stated.
Film still from episode two “A Queer Human Bar” of the docu-series. Photo by The Lesbian Bar Project.
They paid staff, insurance, rent and provided press. “We did go from like 16 to 31 [lesbian bars], which is awesome. All we do now is really make sure we feature them on the website and post whatever is needed to be posted on our social media to highlight them,” Street said.
On May 11, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officially declared the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Since, lesbian bars have had time to recuperate.
Boston’s community boasts the second-largest LGBT population of any state by 5%. Yet, the only two Boston LGBTQ+ bars dedicated to lesbians and queer women, Vicki’s and Cavana’s, closed decades ago. Dani’s Queer Bar, owned by Thais Rocha, intends to alter this reality once open. Rocha expected to open this year, but a lack of funds caused construction to halt. Once open, it’ll be the only lesbian bar in Boston.
Street highlighted that The LBP created a trend, prompting the opening of lesbian bars in Los Angeles and New York. “And a lot of these bar owners were very inspired by the success of LBP, actually, and they told us that they didn't think that it would be a successful business. But when they saw how important the movement of The LBP was, they felt more confident.”
Street hopes Dani’s Queer Bar opening will create a trend for Boston. “Yeah! I think that if it does well, hopefully it will.”
Emerson College senior Lorelei Barcelos affirmed this sentiment. “I'm really excited about Dani’s Queer Bar. I've heard a lot about it. And I want to be able to help support their opening as much as I can.” Barcelos will attend LGBTQNightLife Event’s Ugly Sweater Party at Sapphic Nights, a fundraising event for Dani’s Queer Bar held on Dec. 16.
Much of this trend involves a mindset of inclusivity, especially from social media and Generation Z. “We're seeing that you can have lesbian-centric and focused bars that are all-inclusive to make sure our nonbinary and trans siblings are not being left out,” Lentz said.
Lesbian bars are essential for the safety and support of the LGBTQ+ community, Street stated. “I came out thanks to lesbian bar. I walked out of the closet into Cubby Hole. That’s how it all worked out. It saved my life.”
Lentz extended this sentiment. “It's super important to make sure that we keep those spaces alive, not so much for drinking and having fun but for the spirit of activism and the spirit of belonging.”
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