By: Sarah Ahrens
As of 2022, there are 71,634 bars in the United States (IBISWorld). Only 24 of them are lesbian bars (Lesbian Bar Project).
This low number of lesbian bars is not a new phenomenon. Lesbian bars have been in decline for years due to a number of factors. For one, the (general) rise in acceptance towards and inclusivity of LGBTQ+ people have made the bars less necessary as a gathering place than they were in the 1900s (Marloff). The increase in the use of dating apps to meet partners has also decreased the need to go to lesbian bars to meet other people (Compton, 2021a). These issues also affect gay bars in general (Branton and Compton). Gentrification has forced many lesbian bars to close since the bars are unable to pay the increased rents; for example, The Lexington Club in San Francisco’s Mission District was forced to close in 2015 after two decades since the city’s tech boom led to increased rent costs (Marloff). Also, lesbian bars suffer from the effects of gender disparities. Women, trans, and non-binary people tend to have less spending money on hand due to income disparities rooted in inequalities and discrimination (Marloff). Lastly, lesbian bars have suffered from a lack of inclusivity since they fail to offer safe spaces to other queer-identifying women and to trans and gender non-conforming people (Compton, 2021b).
The COVID pandemic has exacerbated these issues. Like with other bars and restaurants, COVID forced the bars to close. While some managed to get government loans, many others struggled to make ends meet and to earn enough money when the government allowed limited reopenings (Compton, 2021a). These problems were only made harder given that women tend to have less money to spend, as mentioned before. Overall, lesbian bars have struggled during COVID on top of declining revenues from the above factors, and many were forced to turn to GoFundMe to stay afloat (Marloff).
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/year-pandemic-america-s-remaining-lesbian-bars-are-barely-hanging-n1262936
Lesbian bars are important places for queer women. They offer a place for queer people to engage in community building (Compton, 2021b). Building connections with other queer people is exceptionally important to create support systems—queer adults are two times as likely to live alone and four times as likely to not have kids (Petrow). It is also a safe space where queer women can act like themselves without fear of queerphobia. Gay bars can be alienating for women since some of them privilege gay male sexuality over other sexualities (Branton and Compton). Lastly, lesbian bars have historically been a place for activism, especially during the AIDS crisis (Marloff). Overall, they are an important place for queer women to make connections and be themselves without fear of opposition.
However, lesbian bars have problems that need to be addressed. As mentioned above, lesbian bars historically tended to lack inclusivity based not only on exclusion of other gender and sexuality minorities, but also exclusion by race. A common tactic in the later 1900s was carding, where lesbian bars would card only women of color to prevent them from entering (Marloff). Also, a focus on lesbians alienates women who identify with another identity, such as women who are bisexual, asexual, pansexual, or another sexuality minority. Similarly, a historical focus on cisgender lesbians alienates people who are trans, non-binary, or gender non-conforming. These exclusionary practices prevent many people, who also want a space to meet others like them and create connections, from feeling comfortable using lesbian bars and from finding a safe space.
More recently, lesbian bars have been working to address these issues by increasing inclusivity to increase business and promote community building among queer people. Some have explicitly changed their logos to create a space for all queer and trans individuals (Compton, 2021b). This change can help attract younger generations, who are often more inclusive-minded and are the majority of the bars’ customers. To address the financial problems facing lesbian bars, the Lesbian Bar Project launched to aid lesbian bars during the pandemic. They raised $118,000 to support 13 of the bars that were financially unstable in 2020 (Marloff). They also recently released a documentary on lesbian bar history, patronage, community impact, and hopes in 2021, along with raising over $150,000 more to support lesbian bars (The Lesbian Bar Project).
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lesbian-bar-project-chronicles-decline-women-s-queer-spaces-n1269463
Lesbian bars are an important place for queer people to develop relationships and feel safe. The recent efforts to increase inclusivity of who has a right to the place helps improve the bars and opens them to a broader audience along racial, sexuality, and gender lines. This change allows a broader range of people to access the benefits of a queer space. Along with the rise in coordinated awareness and fundraising by the Lesbian Bar Project, it looks like lesbian bars are moving in the right direction by addressing both financial and social problems.
References
Bars & Nightclubs in the US – Number of Businesses 2003–2028. (2022, June 19). IBISWorld. https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/number-of-businesses/bars-nightclubs-united-states/.
Branton, S.E. & Compton, C.A. (2021). There’s No Such Thing as a Gar Bar: Co-Sexuality and the Neoliberal Branding of Queer Spaces. Management Communication Quarterly, Volume 35(1), 69-95.
Compton, J. (2021a, April 4). A year into pandemic, America’s remaining lesbian bars are barely hanging on. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/year-pandemic-america-s-remaining-lesbian-bars-are-barely-hanging-n1262936.
—. (2021b, June 3). ‘The Lesbian Bar Project’ chronicles the decline of women’s queer spaces. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lesbian-bar-project-chronicles-decline-women-s-queer-spaces-n1269463.
Marloff, S. (2021, January 21). The Rise and Fall of America’s Lesbian Bars: Only 15 nightlife spaces dedicated to queer and gay women remain in the United States. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/rise-and-fall-americas-lesbian-bars-180976801/.
Petrow, S. (2022, October 23). The anxieties of growing old when you’re LGBTQ. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/10/23/lgbtq-aging-worries/.
The Lesbian Bar Project. (n.d.). https://www.lesbianbarproject.com/.
It’s interesting to think about how lesbian bars can reconcile the need to provide a safe space for lesbian women with the simultaneous need to also be inclusive of non-cis people and other queer identities. I also agree that although there have been significant strides made in increasing acceptance, there is undoubtedly still a need for specifically queer spaces. Particularly in smaller towns and more rural areas, it’s important that there be spaces designated for LGBT community-building and congregation. Hopefully there will be a revival of gay bars and a reversal of this troubling trend in the coming years.