How two queer filmmakers helped save lesbian bars in the US from extinction

[NullTuples]

"In an unexpected parallel, LGBTQ+ acceptance has never been more visible and widespread, yet the number of queer spaces in the US has dwindled. Some blame the high cost of living in metropolitan areas while others lick wounds from the pandemic. And lesbian bars have taken the brunt of this blow.

Even at the height of the lesbian bar scene in the 1980s, there were only 200 dedicated spaces in the US for queer womxn, a small fraction of the estimated 1500 total queer bars operating at that time. Though in recent years, queer femme spaces in the US have seen disparaging numbers, with 27 lesbian bars remaining. Is this a warning sign of extinction?

To answer this question, GayCities spoke with the creators of “The Lesbian Bar Project” Erica Rose and Elina Street. The two filmmakers tell us about their work to support queer femme spaces and contributing factors to the decline in lesbian bars nationwide."

https://www.gaycities.com/articles/69231/how-two-queer-filmmakers-helped-save-lesbian-bars

Sonoma County lost our last one, the Black Cat, a few years before the pandemic hit. It was replaced with a very hetero sports bar that looks empty or near empty whenever I drive by in the evening. The bar closed so that the owners could spend more time with their family (I think their son was about 2-3 when the bar closed).

However, we now have...other venues, such as Brew in Santa Rosa, which is a mix of coffee, food and beer. And, it's all inclusive, a true queer space, especially in the evenings and during special events. It's been successful enough that a second location has opened in Forestville, on the road to Guerneville and the Russian River.

[RKP5637]

1. K&R !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t