The first gay pub I dared set foot now has a rabow plaque. Here’s why that matters | Gary Nunn | The Guardian

Contents:

• THE 42 BT GAY BARS AMERI
• THE BT GAY CLUBS AMERI
• THE 10 BEST WT HOLLYWOOD GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS WT HOLLYWOOD
• THE 30 BT GAY BARS NYC
• THE HISTORY OF THE ABBEY, WT HOLLYWOOD'S WORLD-FAMO GAY BAR
• THE 10 BEST NEW YORK CY GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS NEW YORK CY
• THE 7 BT GAY BARS PHILALPHIA
• THE FIRST GAY PUB I DARED SET FOOT NOW HAS A RABOW PLAQUE. HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS
• GAY BAR IN LOS ANGEL
• 'GAY BAR' TRACKS THE WAVE OF A WHOLE CULTURE — AND ONE LIFE
• CHIGO GAY BARS AND CLUBS

THE 42 BT GAY BARS AMERI

The word “gay” lls to md our special knack for fdg the light the darkns, for buildg the dance floor off to the si of the cel world. Let’s take a look at some of the bt gay bars Ameri, om the open-air, vil-may-re spac Wt Hollywood to the neighborhood pub downtown St. The entrance is through an unmarked shed behd a Chipotle, and featur a blend but unexpected gay/not crowd which same-sex grdg is rigur.

—Alfonso Fernanz NavasCourtyAt: Cheer Up CharliBack when I was a young gay, I saw the olt, most betiful woman the world at Cheer Up Charli.

THE BT GAY CLUBS AMERI

—Abigail CovgtonCourtyBrooklyn: The ExleyFull of ntradictns, The Exley is a ltle different than other gay bars.

THE 10 BEST WT HOLLYWOOD GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS WT HOLLYWOOD

When the bar fally reopened Sprg 2022, an entire borough’s worth of gays celebrated by floodg the new back pat all summer and Gger’s has been crowd wh queers ever sce. It began s life as a beer-and-we offshoot of the Metropolan Health Club, a gym that opened 1983 to serve the gay ctomers who’d been bullied out of other lol clubs at the height of AIDS hysteria.

THE 30 BT GAY BARS NYC

It gave the boys a place to gather the ‘80s, the first outpost that helped tablish the South End as the Boston gayborhood.

THE HISTORY OF THE ABBEY, WT HOLLYWOOD'S WORLD-FAMO GAY BAR

While other gay bars of the time were basements or board up, Club Cafe faced by Columb Avenue wh floor to ceilg wdows.

Big Chicks serv a diverse crowd— ’s young, ’s old, ’s one of the only plac you’ll see gay men and lbians together! The legendary hoeband, Diamondback, has a 25, 000-song repertoire and a boot llectn that uld make a gay wboy cry. While you won’t fd any Pri flags at Farraguts, you will undoubtedly hear Cele Dn and Melissa Etheri blarg om the bar’s dty, old jebox and, hontly, isn’t that jt as gay?

THE 10 BEST NEW YORK CY GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS NEW YORK CY

CourtyDallas: Round-Up SaloonEqual parts wboy boots and dis ball, Round Up Saloon opened 42 years ago Dallas as a gay untry wtern dance hall. Thanks to Perez-Gallardo and their team, gay people who love the outdoors (most lbians) now have a iendly place to unwd after a hike. Billed as Wt Virgia's olst gay bar, the venue regularly brgs some of the biggt queer performg artists the game right now.

Live out your Brokeback Mounta fantasi at this verno club, where wboy stum are not nsired drag, and le dancg is not an explic exprsn of homophobia. A gay gatherg spot sce 1939, and gay bar sce 1963, and the Bar Complex sce the 80s, s unassumg exterr beli a triple-threat treat of lounge, performance space, and a mirrored dance club reportedly moled after Stud 54. ) The glorly lively bar and rtrant scene is enhanced by a black box theater downstairs, where farcil plays, lbian standup, and gay dance troup reign.

Honey’s is sentially a sexy, gay speakeasy wh a DJ booth where queers of all strip n dance their hearts out until 2 am. Jt a uple of blocks om the beach, Twist brgs the whole breadth of the Miami gay world together to dance and flirt and keep movg.

THE 7 BT GAY BARS PHILALPHIA

CourtyIndianapolis: English IvyEnglish Ivy advertis self as an “LGBTQ+-enthed” “gay-therg place” and that is not an overstatement.

If you want to get away om the typil scene at fellow gay bars Olly’s and Gregs Our Place, English Ivy is an ial place to meet iends: mature enough for a proper Ladi Lunch (or bnch or dner. But this is Nashville we’re talkg about so the gays who perform at Lipstick Lounge aren’t your average karaoke queens. They are stars the makg and their rendn of Cele Dn’s “It’s All Comg Back to Me Now” will shatter your pt glass and break your ltle, gay heart.

THE FIRST GAY PUB I DARED SET FOOT NOW HAS A RABOW PLAQUE. HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS

It’s not a gay bar the tradnal sense, but a place where traed pianists play selectns om Broadway shows and all of the drama teachers and mil theater majors of the tri-state area nverge to sg along. Juli’ is Greenwich Village’s olst bar and New York’s olst gay bar, havg attracted gay clientele sce the 1950s.

It was the se of an early gay-liberatn “sip ” 1966, years before Stonewall, and has been a low-key haven ever sce, wh a diverse clientele, a small menu, classic cktails, and an extensive (and packed) 4:00-7:00 happy hour. : The Stable Gay nightlife the Ocean State’s pal is cltered the joyoly (though creasgly) seedy downtown. In December, Dave’s hosted a queer holiday market wh “live gay bands” and “cute queer vendors” at nearby Bohemian Beer Garn.

GAY BAR IN LOS ANGEL

It’s not que French-themed, ’s not que Mardi Gras-spired, feels as close as we have experienced this untry to a gay neighborhood pub. The origal was burned down an anti-gay hate-crime a few years back, but the revival has jt opened across the street and is bigger and better, wh a new performance space.

'GAY BAR' TRACKS THE WAVE OF A WHOLE CULTURE — AND ONE LIFE

CourtyWashgton DC: TraIn a town where n feel like every other bar is crawlg wh Capol Hill staffers lookg to talk shop, Tra is the rare, glorly gay dive where absolutely everyone is wele to jt kick back. 41) Bar Gaytherg (Miami Beach, FL)42) Cafe Lafte In Exile (New Orleans, LA)43) Cubbyhole (New York, NY)44) Srlet Honolulu (Honolulu, HI)45) The Goln Lantern (New Orleans, LA)46) Freddie’s Beach Bar & Rtrant (Arlgton, VA)47) Replay Beer and Bourbon (Chigo, IL)48) Berl (Chigo, IL)49) Marty’s Marti Bar (Chigo, IL)50) The North End (Chigo, IL). We intified bs the gay bars tegory, then ranked those spots g a number of factors cludg the total volume and ratgs of reviews between January 1, 2016 and April 28, 2021.

We talk a lot about how tim have changed, but the gay bar remas a staple of gay life'a lifele for many of , an old iend for the rt.

There's no such thg as a five list of anythg, but that hasn't stopped om surg the world to fd 50 bars wh all the right quali to make you feel at AMERICAS:USAATLANTAMARY'STheme nights range om outrageo to downright unsavory: Hanky Co Party, No Pants Dance, and MondoHomo, to name a few. (512) 320-8823BOISE, IDEMERALD CLUBThe olst gay bar Boise attracts a mixed-genr crowd rangg om buffed-and-shed llege kids to olr upl matchg Wtern garb. (208) 342-5446CHICAGO, ILROSCOE'SGays om all over the untry flock to this popular but low-key Boystown favore, where the mic is unabashedly bouncy.

CHIGO GAY BARS AND CLUBS

(903) 887-2061LEXINGTON, KYTHE BAR COMPLEXThe gay crown jewel of historic downtown Lexgton, this nverted speakeasy radiat fad glamour and genteel manners wh s three bars, huge upstairs dance floor, and plenty of dark nooks to enjoy gentleman llers or a mt julep.

Gay guys, women, and straight dus pack the jot nightly, and the bar has expand to a full-fledged dance club on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. ) and the perfect pat, this is where many a gay Angeleno brgs his or her out-of-town pals to see'and experience'the heart of WeHo. (305) 534-6300)NEW HAVEN, CTGOTHAM CITISouthern Connecticut's biggt gay statn draws a wispread crowd to s three sleek floors of dancg and bchery.

(203) 498-2484NEW YORK, NYTHERAPYAfter a long week the big cy, a drk at a sexy club the heart of the new gay village (Hell's Kchen) is theraptic.