The bar that claims to be Denver’s oldest gay bar is one of the most laid-back of the bunch. O'Grady says the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, barring a few on social media. Operating as a bar since the 1950s, the spot has definitely seen its fair share of historygood and bad. "We have at least three people, I think, that are making a lot of noise about being angry about it, and some people aren't even living in Colorado," he said.įor patrons like Trevor Baringer, the move provides a sense of safety.
"It's a comfort to me because, I mean, that just means that I know that when I come here that I'm going to be safe," he said. O'Grady hopes this new policy will keep them open this fall and winter as more people head back indoors to avoid the cooler temperatures.
“And we have to just remember that and see the light and rise up and not get in a dark place."We're really hoping that if something does happen, it would be this and not a full shutdown," he said. “The community’s fought before it’ll fight again,” Squatriglia said. In a recent interview with The Advocate, Jacqui Squatrigilia, the co-owner of Flaming Saddles, which shuttered its West Hollywood location last year, pointed to the LGBTQ+ community's resilience in hoping for a brighter next chapter. A promotion for the new venue promises it will be "the biggest gay nightclub in the USA." The openings follow the news of gay N'SYNC alumnus Lance Bass signing the lease of the building that once housed Rage, one of the many gay bars that shuttered in West Hollywood this past year. Tight End will be the first major gay sports bar in Denver, and it plans to partner with LGBTQ+ sporting leagues for events. It is owned by Steven Alix, who is also the proprietor of X Bar, another gay haunt in the Colorado capital. That, along with the White Horse Inn and Port Bar, will raise the city's number of LGBTQ+ bars to four.Ī few states eastward, Tight End has opened in Denver, reports The Know. Another bar and lounge, Town, is set to open soon in Oakland as well. Qué Rico is not the only sign of new life. The venue is already hosting a popular drag show. In Oakland, Calif., Qué Rico, a nightclub and restaurant, was launched earlier this month it is the first of its kind to open in the Bay Area in years, reports S.F. The loss was felt acutely by LGBTQ+ folks, who often relied on these venues for safe spaces and connection, sometimes over the span of decades.Įven before the pandemic, the decline of gay bars was a sad trend 37 percent of these establishments shuttered between 20 in the United States, according to one study.Īs COVID-19 restrictions ease, however, some new LGBTQ+ establishments have opened, offering signs of hope to a struggling industry and community. Like many small businesses, gay bars were hard-hit by the pandemic, which forced the closure of most indoor watering holes across the country. Spring has sprung - and so have a few new gay bars.