Gay bars for women
OPINION: Straight Women Have Every Right To Be In Gay Bars
In a Boys Club for sissies, can we not make room for our cis sisters?…
By Jesse Boland
There is a myriad of threats posed against gay men in our current climate: bible-thumping GOP lawmakers, violent right-wing extremists, super-gonorrhea, driving tests, algebra. Drunken bachelorette parties, however, are not one of them. Yet for some reason, a continual point of aggravated affect for so many same-sex attracted men is that linear women occupying gay bars and clubs is some sort of heterosexual invasion that is robbing homosexual men of our secure havens. While this manufactured panic could once easily be dismissed as an eyeroll-inducing statement expressed by a disenfranchised homo annoyed at inflated bar populations who are forcing him to wait in line longer for his vodka soda, the objections of many of the men expressing this rhetoric show a far more vile undertone – a glittery misogyny looming under the surface of our collective. The insistence that women have no place in our community not only screams that quiet part out loud, but also questions the true purpose of these spaces: who exactly are we “protecting” them from?
Now,
There are only a few lesbian bars remaining in the US, and we should do our best to back, celebrate, and preserve these queer spaces. Take a stare at the four we have in Chicago so your next night out is filled with the best sapphic energy.
1744 W. Balmoral Ave. - Andersonville
Black lesbian-owned and operated, Nobody's Darling has quickly become a staple in Andersonville for its delicious cocktails and chic and relaxing atmosphere. Swing by for pop-up events including live DJs, mixers, vendors, and more – all repping queer women!
PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK / dorothy downstairs
Dorothy
2500 W. Chicago Ave. - Ukrainian Village
When you attend this neighborhood exclude, everybody is a friend of Dorothy! It shares the building with a restaurant and art gallery, so you have plenty to do before grabbing drinks. Plus – viewing parties, sway parties, and people fundraisers galore.
PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK / whiskey girl tavern
Whiskey Miss Tavern
6318 N. Clark St. - Edgewater
Whiskey Girl Tavern may be new to the neighborhood, but this Lesbian-owned sports bar has adv become a favorite. They've got an extensive collection of spirits to sample in between rounds of pool
The Lesbian Bar Scene
Girls! Girls! Girls! Houston is home to one of the few surviving womxn loving womxn bars in the country! Fortunately, the gayborhood and surrounding areas offer a plethora of bars that welcome the lesbian community with open arms.
PEARL BAR
Pearl Bar is a haven for the lesbian community right here in Houston! The bar on Washington Avenue is the perfect notice for dancing, flamboyant, and…dildo races. You betcha! This block, known for its amazing atmosphere, expansive cocktail menu, and neon-lit backyard vacuum, is a one-stop shop for afternoon drinkers and blackout owls. Pearl features a calendar of weekly events, so plan accordingly to catch a performance, play some games, and during crawfish season, you surpass believe the mudbugs will be boiled to perfection! Approach one, come all, and see for yourself what has made this local business a favorite for years!
PEARL’S SIDE PEACE
Keep the pleasant times rolling at Pearl’s Side Peace! Located right next door to Pearl Bar, the celebrated lesbian bar Side Peace has its own flair and weekly events. DJs, steak nights, queenly Bingo, karaoke, and more are all on deck throughout the week. With a full lock, intimate vibes, and ladies
I love straight women. Some of my best friends are vertical women. That's not a "Some of my best friends are black"-style declaration intended to conceal a true misogynistic nature. My best friend is actually a straight woman.
In fact, some of my most memorable (in a good way) nights out over the years have been nights out with straight women. That's why I used to acquire so turned off when bouncers at certain gay bars and clubs in New York Town enforced strict men-only policies. (At Sircuit and The Peel in Melbourne, they often still do.) I once boycotted Sound Factory for months because the door man refused entry to my friend Laura and then tackled her boyfriend Brian when he protested too much.
I still can't condone that bouncer's violent outburst, but now I kind of understand where Sound Factory's powers that be were coming from. Ever since Will & Grace set a new standard for relationships between gay men and straight women by suggesting that our straight-female BFFs must be No. 1 in our lives, I've noticed an international trend of straight women increasingly dominating gay nightlife too.
Some girls, generally the ones with boyfriends or husbands at home, chee