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{{Short description|Drinking establishment catered to LGBTQ clientele}}
{{For|the song|Gay Bar (song)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Comptons-Of-Soho.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Comptons of Soho]], [[London]], UK. Taken during [[Pride in London|London Pride]] 2010.]]
A '''gay bar''' is a [[Bar (establishment)|drinking establishment]] that caters to an exclusively or predominantly [[lesbian]], [[gay]], [[bisexual]], [[transgender]] or [[queer]] ([[LGBTQ+]]) clientele; the term ''[[gay]]'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communities.

Gay bars once served as the centre of gay culture and were one of the few places people with [[homosexuality|same-sex]] orientations and [[gender-variant]] identities could openly socialize. Other names used to describe these establishments include ''boy bar'', ''girl bar'', ''gay club'', ''gay [[Public house|pub]]'', ''queer bar'', ''[[lesbian bar]]'', ''drag bar'', and ''[[Dyke (slang)|dyke]] bar'', depending on the niche communities that they serve.

With the advent of the Internet and an increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ people across the Western world, the relevance of gay bars in the [[LGBTQ+ community]] has somewhat diminished.<ref>{{cite news | first=Geoff | last=Williams | title=10 Businesses Facing Extinction in 10 Years | url=http://www.entrepreneur.com//startingabusiness/article184288.html | work=Entrepreneur | date=19 September 2007 | access-date=2008-11-26}}</ref> In areas without a gay bar, certain establishments may hold a [[gay night]] instead.

==History==
[[File:STS Bank, Tampere (1973-6), Finland, architect Kosti Kuronen.jpg|thumb|200px|The {{ill|Mixei|fi}} [[nightclub]] in [[Tammela, Tampere|Tammela]], [[Tampere]], is the oldest still operating gay bar in [[Finland]], having first opened its doors in 1990.<ref>[http://www.mixei.com/index_en.php Mixei]: The oldest, still operating gay bar in Finland.</ref>]]
Gathering places favoured by homosexuals have operated for centuries. Reports from as early as the 17th century record the existence of bars and clubs that catered to, or at least tolerated, openly gay clientele in several major European cities.<ref>Tim Blanning. ''The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815''. p 80. {{ISBN|978-0-670-06320-8}}.</ref> The White Swan (created by James Cook and Yardley, full name unknown) on [[Vere Street, Westminster|Vere Street]], in [[London]], England, was raided in 1810 during the so-called [[Vere Street Coterie]]. The raid led to the executions of John Hepburn and Thomas White for [[sodomy]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/new1800.html|title=Newgate executions 1800 - 1836|website=www.capitalpunishmentuk.org}}</ref> The site was the scene of alleged [[gay marriage]]s carried out by the [[Reverend John Church]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Caryn E. |last=Neumann |title=The Vere Street Coterie |url=http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/vere_street_coterie.html |date=17 June 2007 |access-date=2008-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610020523/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/vere_street_coterie.html |archive-date=2015-06-10 }}</ref>

It is not clear which place is the first gay bar in the modern sense. In [[Cannes]], France, such a bar had already opened in 1885, and there were many more in Berlin around 1900. In the United Kingdom and the Netherlands gay bars were established throughout the first quarter of the 20th century.

===China===
{{See also|LGBT history in China}}

The oldest gay bar in [[Beijing]] is the Half-and-Half, which in 2004 had been open over ten years.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jm2NAgAAQBAJ|title=Gay and Lesbian Subculture in Urban China|first=Loretta Wing Wah|last=Ho|date=September 10, 2009|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135256579|via=Google Books}}</ref> The first lesbian bar in China (also in Beijing) was Maple Bar, opened in 2000 by pop singer [[Qiao Qiao]]. The On/Off was a popular bar for both gay men and lesbians.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newurbanquestion.ifou.org/proceedings/3%20The%20Urbanized%20Society/poster%20papers/B034_Teng_Jingru_Lesbian%20Spaces%20in%20Beijing.pdf |title=LESBIAN SPACES IN BEIJING |date=2009 |website=newurbanquestion.ifou.org |access-date=2020-10-03 |archive-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213084119/http://newurbanquestion.ifou.org/proceedings/3%20The%20Urbanized%20Society/poster%20papers/B034_Teng_Jingru_Lesbian%20Spaces%20in%20Beijing.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The increase in China's gay and lesbian bars in recent years is linked to China's opening up to global capitalism and its consequent economic and social restructuring.<ref name="auto1"/>

=== Denmark ===
{{See also|LGBT rights in Denmark}}

The bar Centralhjørnet in [[Copenhagen]] opened in 1917 and became a gay bar in the 1950s. It now claims to be one of the oldest gay bars in Europe.<ref>See: [http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/gaycopenhagen LGBT Copenhagen]</ref> The main Copenhagen gay district is the [[Latin Quarter, Copenhagen|Latin Quarter]].

=== France ===
The very first gay bar in Europe and probably in the world was the Zanzibar in Cannes on the French Riviera. The Zanzibar was opened in 1885 and existed for 125 years, before it was closed in December 2010. Among its visitors were many artists, like actor [[Jean Marais]] and comedians [[Thierry Le Luron]] and [[Coluche]].<ref>RTBF.be: [https://www.rtl.be/art/info/monde/france/france-fermeture-du-plus-vieux-bar-gay-d-europe-a-cannes-208944.aspx], January 7, 2011</ref>
{{Main|LGBT culture in Paris}}
[[Paris]] became known as a centre for gay culture in the 19th century, making the city a queer capital during the early 20th century, when the [[Montmartre]] and [[Quartier Pigalle|Pigalle]] districts were meeting places of the LGBTQ+ community. Although [[Amsterdam]], [[Berlin]], and London had more meeting places and organizations than Paris, the latter was known for the "flamboyance" of LGBTQ+ quarters and "visibility" of LGBTQ+ celebrities.<ref name=Tamagnep240>Florence Tamagne, ''Paris: 'Resting on its Laurels'?'', in: Queer Cities, Queer Cultures: Europe since 1945, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=r6zDAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA240 240].</ref>

Paris retained the LGBTQ+ capital image after the end of [[World War II]], but the center of the meeting place shifted to [[Saint-Germain-des-Prés]]. In the 1950s and 1960s the police and authorities tolerated homosexuals as long as the conduct was private and out of view, but gay bar raids occurred and there were occasions when the owners of the bars were involved in facilitating the raids. Lesbians rarely visited gay bars and instead socialized in circles of friends. Lesbians who did go to bars often originated from the working class.<ref name=Tamagnep242243>Tamagne, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=r6zDAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA242 242]- [https://books.google.com/books?id=r6zDAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA243 243].</ref> [[Chez Moune]], opened in 1936, and [[New Moon (nightclub)|New Moon]] were 20th-century lesbian cabarets located in [[Place Pigalle]], which converted to mixed music clubs in the 21st century.<ref>Laurent Jézéquel, "[http://www.telerama.fr/sortir/new-moon-comment-un-cabaret-de-pigalle-est-devenu-le-qg-du-rock-alternatif,132223.php New Moon : comment un cabaret de Pigalle est devenu le QG du rock alternatif", ''Telerama'']''   Publié le 05/10/2015. Mis à jour le 07/10/2015 à 18h59.''</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lostwomynsspace.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html|title=Lost Womyn's Space|website=lostwomynsspace.blogspot.com}}</ref>

Since the 1980s, the [[Le Marais]] district is the center of the gay scene in Paris.

=== Germany ===
{{Main|LGBT culture in Berlin}}
{{See also|First homosexual movement}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1983-0121-500, Berlin, Bar "Eldorado".jpg|thumb|right|The gay club Eldorado in Berlin, 1932]]
In [[Berlin]], there was gay and lesbian night life already around 1900, which throughout the 1920s became very open and vibrant, especially when compared to other capitals. Especially in the [[Schöneberg]] district around [[Nollendorfplatz]] there were many cafes, bars and clubs, which also attracted gay people who had to flee their own country in fear of prosecution, like for example [[Christopher Isherwood]]. The gay club Eldorado in the [[Motzstraße]] was internationally known for its [[transvestite]] shows. There was also a relatively high number of places for lesbians. Within a few weeks after the Nazis took over government in 1933, fourteen of the best known gay establishments were closed. After homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969, many gay bars opened in [[West Berlin]], resulting in a lively gay scene.

In [[Munich]], a number of gay and lesbian bars are documented as early as the [[Golden Twenties]]. Since the 1960s, the ''Rosa Viertel'' (pink quarter) developed in the ''Glockenbachviertel'' and around ''Gärtnerplatz'', which in the 1980s made Munich "one of the four gayest metropolises in the world" along with San Francisco, New York City and Amsterdam.<ref name="stankiewitz">{{cite book |last=Stankiewitz |first=Karl |date=May 2018|title=Aus is und Gar is |publisher=Allitera Verlag |isbn=978-3-96233-023-1|language=de}}</ref> In particular, the area around [[Müllerstraße]] and ''Hans-Sachs-Straße'' was characterized by numerous gay bars and nightclubs. One of them was the [[Travesti (theatre)|travesty]] nightclub ''Old Mrs. Henderson'', where [[Freddie Mercury]], who lived in Munich from 1979 to 1985, filmed the music video for the song ''[[Living on My Own]]'' at his 39th birthday party.<ref name="stankiewitz"/><ref name="mitvergnuegen">{{cite web|url=https://muenchen.mitvergnuegen.com/2017/11-verrueckt-vergessen-clubs-muenchen/ |title=11 verrückte Clubs in München, die Geschichte schrieben |trans-title=11 crazy clubs in Munich that made history |last=Schauberger |first=Anja |publisher=Mit Vergnuegen |access-date=29 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="BR_20211004">{{cite AV media |title=Sechs Jahre hat Freddie Mercury in München gelebt – eine Spurensuche |trans-title=Freddie Mercury lived in Munich for six years – a search for clues |url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/YqhkiNg1OPg |publisher =[[Bayerischer Rundfunk]] |type=documentary |language=de |date=4 October 2021  |access-date=29 December 2022}}</ref> Other gay venues include ''Pompon Rouge'', ''Mandy's Club'', ''Pimpernel'' nightclub, the bar ''Mylord'', the ''Ochsengarten'', which was "Germany's first bar for [[leather subculture|leather men]]", as well as the gay hotel-pub ''Deutsche Eiche''. Regulars in many of these bars and nightclubs include, for example, Freddie Mercury, [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder]], [[Walter Sedlmayr]] (who met his later murderer in the Pimpernel), [[Inge Meysel]] and [[Hildegard Knef]].<ref name="stankiewitz"/><ref name="mjunikdisco">{{cite book |last1=Hecktor |first1=Mirko |last2=von Uslar |first2=Moritz |last3=Smith |first3=Patti |last4=Neumeister |first4=Andreas |date=1 November 2008 |title=Mjunik Disco – from 1949 to now |publisher=Blumenbar |isbn=978-3-936738-47-6 |language=de}}</ref>

=== Japan ===
{{see also|LGBT in Tokyo}}

The oldest continuously operating Japanese gay bar, New Sazae, opened in Tokyo in 1966.<ref name="new sazae">In 1966 (昭和41), There is the continuously operating gay bar "New Sazae" which opened in Tokyo, [[Shinjuku Ni-chōme]]. 8 December 2007 [[:ja:出没!アド街ック天国]] Shinjuku Ni-chōme.[http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/adomachi/backnumber/20071208/31164.html]</ref> Most gay bars in Tokyo are located in the [[Shinjuku Ni-chōme]] district, which is home to about 300 bars.<ref>''Independent''. February 7, 2010. Retrieved on March 16, 2015.</ref> Each bar may only have room to seat about a dozen people; as a result, many bars are specialized according to interest.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.utopia-asia.com/tipsjapn.htm | title=Gay Japan and Japanese Gay and Lesbian Resources by Utopia Asia 大同}}</ref>

===Mexico===
{{Main|LGBT history in Mexico}}
[[File:Amberes street, Zona Rosa, Mexico City.jpg|thumb|Amberes street in [[Mexico City]]'s Zona Rosa is lined with gay bars.]]

Because of a raid on a Mexico City drag ball in 1901, when 41 men were arrested, the number 41 has come to symbolize male homosexuality in [[Culture of Mexico|Mexican popular culture]], figuring frequently in jokes and in casual teasing.<ref name="Coerver, Pasztor and Buffington, p. 202">Coerver, Pasztor and Buffington, p. 202.</ref><ref name="Dynes, Johansson, Percy and Donaldson, p. 806">Dynes, Johansson, Percy and Donaldson, p. 806</ref> The raid on the "Dance of the 41" was followed by a less-publicized raid of a [[lesbian bar]] on 4 December 1901 in Santa Maria. Despite the [[Great Depression|international depression of the 1930s]] and along with the social revolution overseen by [[President Lázaro Cárdenas|Lázaro Cárdenas]] (1934–1940), the growth of Mexico City was accompanied by the opening of gay bars and [[gay bathhouse]]s.<ref name="Dynes, Johansson, Percy and Donaldson, p. 806"/> During the [[Second World War]], ten to fifteen gay bars operated in Mexico City, with dancing permitted in at least two, El África and El Triunfo. Relative freedom from official [[harassment]] continued until 1959 when [[Head of Government of the Federal District|Mayor]] Ernesto Uruchurtu closed every gay bar following a triple-murder. But by the late 1960s several Mexican cities had gay bars and, later, U.S.-style [[dance club]]s. These places, however, were sometimes clandestine but tolerated by local authorities, which often meant that they were allowed to exist so long as the owners paid [[Bribery|bribes]]. A fairly visible presence was developed in large cities such as [[Guadalajara]], [[Acapulco, Guerrero|Acapulco]], [[Veracruz, Veracruz|Veracruz]] and Mexico City.<ref name="Herrick and Stuart, p. 141">Herrick and Stuart, p. 141.</ref> Today, Mexico City is home to numerous gay bars, many of them located in the [[Zona Rosa (Mexico City)|Zona Rosa]], particularly on Amberes street, while a broad and varied gay nightlife also flourishes in Guadalajara, Acapulco, in [[Cancún]] attracting global tourists, [[Puerto Vallarta]] which attracts many Americans and Canadians, and [[Tijuana]] with its cross-border crowd. However, there are at least several gay bars in most major cities.<ref>books.google.com.mx/books?id=_bXMDAAAQBAJ</ref>

=== Netherlands ===
{{see also|LGBT history in the Netherlands}}

[[File:Café ‘t Mandje.jpg|thumb|Café 't Mandje at Zeedijk in Amsterdam]]
In [[Amsterdam]], there were already a few gay bars in the first quarter of the 20th century. The best known was {{ill|The Empire (Amsterdam)|lt=The Empire|nl|The Empire}}, in [[Nes (Amsterdam)|Nes]], which was first mentioned in 1911 and existed until the late 1930s.<ref>Pieter Koenders, ''Tussen christelijk réveil en seksuele revolutie - Bestrijding van zedeloosheid in Nederland'', Amsterdam 1996, p. 704-706</ref> The oldest that still exists is [[Café 't Mandje]], which was opened in 1927 by lesbian [[Bet van Beeren]].<ref name="gaybarnl">[[Gert Hekma]] (Gay Studies University of Amsterdam), [https://web.archive.org/web/20050306020448/http://www2.fmg.uva.nl/gl/gaybar.html The Amsterdam Bar Culture And Changing Gay/Lesbian Identities]</ref> It closed in 1982, but was reopened in 2008.

After [[World War II]], the Amsterdam city government acted rather pragmatic and tolerated the existence of gay bars. In the 1960s their number grew rapidly and they clustered in and around a number of streets, although this was limited to bars, clubs and shops and they never became residential areas for gays, like the [[gay village]]s in the US.

Since the late 1950s the main Amsterdam gay street was [[Kerkstraat]], which was succeeded by [[Reguliersdwarsstraat]] in the early 1980s, when the first openly gay places opened here, like the famous cafe April in 1981, followed by dancing Havana in 1989.<ref>Reguliers.net: [http://www.reguliers.net/history.php History of Reguliersdwarsstraat]</ref> Other streets where there are still concentrations of gay bars are [[Zeedijk]], Amstel and [[Warmoesstraat]], the latter being the center of the Amsterdam [[leather subculture|leather scene]], where the first leather bar already opened around 1955.<ref name="gaybarnl"/><ref>About the history of the Amsterdam [http://www.leatherhistory.eu/ Leather Scene] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911203247/http://www.leatherhistory.eu/ |date=September 11, 2019 }}</ref> [[The Queen's Head (Amsterdam)|The Queen's Head]] is a gay bar located at Zeedijk 20 in the centre of Amsterdam.

===Russia===
{{See also|LGBT culture in Russia}}

Because of the high prevalence of [[homophobia]] in Russia, patrons of gay bars there often have had to be on the alert for bullying and attacks. In 2013, Moscow's largest gay bar, Central Station, had its walls sprayed with gunfire, had harmful gas released into a crowd of 500 patrons, and had its ceiling nearly brought down by a gang who wanted to crush the people inside. Nonetheless, gay nightlife is increasing in Moscow and St. Petersburg, offering drag shows and Russian music, with some bars also offering discreet gay-only taxi services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-is-what-a-gay-night-out-in-moscow-is-like/|title=Jessica Kirk, Secrecy, Dark Rooms, and Patriotic Drag Queens: A Gay Night Out in Moscow, Vice, March 26, 2015|work=VICE |date=26 March 2015 }}</ref>

=== Singapore ===
{{See also|LGBT history in Singapore}}

The first recorded use of the term "gay bar" is in the diaries of homosexual British comedian [[Kenneth Williams]]: "16 January 1947. Went round to the gay bar which wasn't in the least gay."<ref>''The Kenneth Williams Diaries'' edited by [[Russell Davies]], 1993, 8.</ref> At the time Williams was serving in the British Army in [[Singapore]]. In the 1970s, straight nightclubs began to open their doors to gay clients on designated nights of the week. In the 1980s, a lesbian bar named Crocodile Rock opened in Far East Plaza, which remains to this day the oldest lesbian bar in Singapore. Today, many gay bars are located on the Neil Road stretch, from Taboo and Tantric, to Backstage Bar, May Wong's Café, DYMK and Play. Mega-clubs like Zouk and Avalon are also a big draw for the gay crowd.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/blogs/singapore-showbiz/behind-doors-singapore-gay-night-club-scene-031521386.html|title=Behind the doors of Singapore's gay night club scene|website=sg.entertainment.yahoo.com|date=30 December 2012 }}</ref>

===South Africa===
{{See also|LGBT rights in South Africa}}

The history of gay and lesbian bars in South Africa reflects the racial divisions that began in the [[Apartheid]] era and continue, to some extent, in the 21st century.<ref>Ken Cage, Moyra Evans, Gayle: The Language of Kinks and Queens: a History and Dictionary of Gay Language in South Africa Jacana Media, 2003, p. 15</ref>

The first white gay bar opened in the Carlton Hotel in downtown [[Johannesburg]] in the late 1940s, catering exclusively to men of wealth. In the 1960s, other urban bars began to open that drew more middle and working class white men; lesbians were excluded. The language of [[Gayle language|Gayle]] had its roots in the [[Cape Coloured]] and [[Afrikaans]]-speaking underground gay bar culture. In 1968, when the government threatened to pass repressive anti-gay legislation, queer culture went even further underground, which meant clubs and bars were often the only places to meet. These bars were often the targets of police raids.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WSn7026sq_cC&q=history+gay+bars+south+africa&pg=PA11|title=Gayle: The Language of Kinks and Queens : a History and Dictionary of Gay Language in South Africa|first1=Ken|last1=Cage|first2=Moyra|last2=Evans|date=October 3, 2003|publisher=Jacana Media|isbn=9781919931494|via=Google Books}}</ref> The decade of the 1970s was when urban gay clubs took root. The most popular gay club of Johannesburg was The Dungeon, which attracted females as well as males, and lasted until the 1990s. The 1979 police assault on the New Mandy's Club, in which patrons fought back, has been referred to as South Africa's [[Stonewall riots|Stonewall]].<ref>Philip Harrison, Gay and Lesbian, New Africa Books, 2005, p. 13</ref>

In the 1980s, police raids on white gay clubs lessened as the apartheid government forces found itself dealing with more and more resistance from the black population. In the black townships, some of the [[shebeens]], unlicensed bars established in people's homes and garages, catered to LGBTQ clients. During the struggle against apartheid, some of these shebeens were important meeting places for black gay and lesbian resistance fighters. Lee's, a shebeen in [[Soweto]], for example, was used as a meeting place for black gay men who were part of the Gay Association of South Africa (GASA) but did not feel welcome in the GASA offices.<ref name="citation.allacademic.com">{{Cite web |url=http://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/4/2/8/9/pages242891/p242891-4.php |title=Williams, Jill.Spatial Transversals: Gender, Race, Class, and Tourism in Cape Town, South Africa |access-date=2016-08-17 |archive-date=2016-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006104539/http://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/4/2/8/9/pages242891/p242891-4.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

With the establishment of the post-apartheid 1996 constitution that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation as well as race, South Africa's gay night life exploded, though many bars continued to be segregated by race, and fewer blacks than whites go to the urban bars. The 2005 inaugural gay shebeen tour was advertised as a gay pub crawl that would provide an opportunity for South Africans and foreigners to "experience true African gay Shebeen culture".<ref name="citation.allacademic.com"/><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4329017.stm Alastair Leithead. Taking Gay Pride to SA's townships BBC News, Cape Town, Tuesday, 8 March, 2005],</ref>

===South Korea===
{{See also|LGBT history in South Korea|l1=LGBT History in South Korea}}
[[File:Lesbos 레스보스 (5477800401).jpg|thumb|250px|Lesbos bar in Sinchon, Seoul, South Korea 레스보스]]

In Seoul, most gay bars were originally congregated near the [[Itaewon]] area of [[Seoul]], near the U.S. military base. But in recent years, more clubs have located in the [[Sinchon-dong, Seoul|Sinchon]] area, indicating that "safe spaces" for Korean LGBTQ+ people have extended beyond the foreign zones, which were traditionally more tolerant. One male bar patron said Korean bar culture was not as direct as in the United States, with customers indicating their interest in another customer by ordering him a drink through a waiter. The oldest lesbian bar in Seoul is Lesbos, which started in 1996.<ref>Timothy R. Tangherlini, Sallie Yea, Sitings: Critical Approaches to Korean Geography, University of Hawaii Press, 2008, p. 181</ref>

===Spain===
{{See also|LGBT history in Spain}}

Under the dictatorship of [[General Francisco Franco]] from 1939 to 1975, homosexuality was illegal. However, in 1962, Spain's first gay bar, Tony's, opened in [[Torremolinos]] and a clandestine gay bar scene also emerged in the 1960s and early 1970s in [[Barcelona]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2015/07/27/how-la-nogalera-came-to-be-torremolinos-gay-hot-spot/|title=How La Nogalera came to be Torremolinos' gay hot-spot|first=Rob|last=Horgan|date=July 27, 2015}}</ref>

===Taiwan===
{{See also|LGBT history in Taiwan}}

In Taiwan, Gay bar culture was first brought to Taiwan by the US military stationed in the 1960s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=潘柏翰|date=2021-10-25|title=寂寞的年輪運轉不休：從文字傳情到沿網路線徵友，30年來男、女同志如何找到圈內人？|url=https://www.thenewslens.com/feature/gay-les-dating/155557|access-date=2023-04-24|website=The News Lens 關鍵評論網|language=zh-Hant-TW|archive-date=2023-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428105601/https://www.thenewslens.com/feature/gay-les-dating/155557|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1970s, the first gay bar "Take" appeared in Taipei.<ref>{{Cite web|title=新活水|url=https://www.fountain.org.tw/tag/space/article/lgbt-space|access-date=2023-04-24|website=www.fountain.org.tw|language=zh-TW|archive-date=2023-04-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430144311/https://www.fountain.org.tw/tag/space/article/lgbt-space|url-status=live}}</ref> At the same time, lesbians often held activities in American military bars and gay bars. It was not until 1985 that the first lesbian bar "Forgettable Valley" appeared.<ref name="卡拉永遠OK：客廳、酷兒、家族系譜 — ARTalks">{{Cite web|title=卡拉永遠OK：客廳、酷兒、家族系譜 — ARTalks|url=https://talks.taishinart.org.tw/event/talks/2022040901|access-date=2023-04-24|website=talks.taishinart.org.tw|archive-date=2023-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529085833/https://talks.taishinart.org.tw/event/talks/2022040901|url-status=live}}</ref> After the mid-1980s, Gay bars and T-bars sprouted up like mushrooms after a rain. In addition to Taipei, they also began to appear in Taichung and Kaohsiung. The style has also become diversified from simply drinking and chatting.<ref name="卡拉永遠OK：客廳、酷兒、家族系譜 — ARTalks"/> For example, Funky in the 1990s divided its business hours into singing hours and dancing hours.

In the early 2000s, the human rights of gays and lesbians in Taiwan improved significantly. The gay nightlife entertainment scene shifted from being a scene opened by gays and only having gay customers. Some non-gay-only nightclubs were considered gay nightclubs because they gathered a large number of gays. Representative stores are TeXound and 2F.<ref>{{Cite web|last=陳俊志|date=2019-05-16|title=永遠的美麗少年——陳俊志：我們要抬頭挺胸|url=https://www.unitas.me/archives/8653|access-date=2023-04-24|website=聯合文學 unitas lifestyle|language=zh-TW|archive-date=2023-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429070827/https://www.unitas.me/archives/8653|url-status=live}}</ref>

Starting in 2007, gay bars began to move into the Ximen Red House, which was not operating well at that time. Relying on the gay customer base, this place gradually gathered a lot of popularity and became the first openly gay business district in Taiwan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=台北市電影委員會 TAIPEI FILM Commission|url=https://www.filmcommission.taipei/scenesCT.aspx?id=739|access-date=2023-04-24|website=www.filmcommission.taipei|archive-date=2023-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424210258/https://www.filmcommission.taipei/scenesCT.aspx?id=739|url-status=live}}</ref> Nowadays, Ximen Red House Bar Street is a must-visit attraction for gays from all over the world when visiting Taiwan.

Currently, the representative gay bars include Abrazo Bistro, Bacio Taipei, Belle's, Commander D, Fairy Taipei, G-Star, Ganymede, Hunt and Locker Room. There are also many small gay bars in Ximen Red House.

=== United Kingdom ===
{{Main|LGBT culture in London}}

In the 18th century, [[molly house]]s were clandestine clubs where gay men could meet, drink, dance and have sex with each other. One of the most famous was Mother Clap's Molly House.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cabinetmagazine.org/issues/8/bailey.php|title=Welcome to the Molly-House: An Interview with Randolph Trumbach &#124; Amanda Bailey and Randolph Trumbach|first=Amanda Bailey and Randolph|last=Trumbach|website=cabinetmagazine.org}}</ref>

The first gay bar in Britain in the modern sense was [[The Cave of the Golden Calf]], established as a [[night club]] in [[London]]. It opened in an underground location at 9 Heddon Street, just off [[Regent Street]], in 1912 and became a haunt for the wealthy, aristocratic and bohemian.<ref>{{Cite book|title=London and the Culture of Homosexuality, 1885-1914 (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture)|first=Matt|last=Cook|isbn=978-0521089807|date=2008-11-06|publisher=Cambridge University Press |url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/londoncultureofh00matt}}</ref> Its creator [[Frida Uhl|Frida Strindberg née Uhl]] set it up as an [[avant-garde]] and artistic venture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.4983|title=The programme and menu from the Cave of the Golden Calf, Cabaret and Theatre Club|work=20thcenturylondon.org.uk|access-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216092210/http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.4983|archive-date=16 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The club provided a solid model for future nightclubs.

After homosexuality was partially decriminalized in the UK in 1967, gay bar culture became more visible and gradually [[Soho]] became the centre of the London LGBTQ+ community, which was "firmly established" by the early 1990s.<ref name=Turnerp50>Turner, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=5VdsY1LF_gMC&pg=PA50 50].</ref> Gay bars, cafes, restaurants and clubs are centred on [[Old Compton Street]].

Other cities in the UK also have districts or streets with a concentration of gay bars, like for example [[Stanley Street Quarter]] in Liverpool, the [[Merchant City]] in Glasgow, [[Canal Street (Manchester)|Canal Street]] in Manchester and the [[Birmingham Gay Village]].

=== United States ===
[[File:Virginia Senate Resolution recognizing Freddie’s Beach Bar.jpg|thumb|A 2021 Virginia State Senate resolution recognizing Freddie's Beach Bar, Northern Virginia's only gay bar at the time.]]
There are many institutions in the United States that claim to be the oldest gay bar in the country. Since [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] ended in 1933, there are a number of notable gay bars that have opened. In alphabetical order:
* The [[Atlantic House]] in [[Provincetown, Massachusetts]], was constructed in 1798 and was a tavern and stagecoach stop before becoming a ''de facto'' gay bar after artists and actors, including [[Tennessee Williams]], began spending summers in Provincetown in the 1920s.<ref name="A-House">{{cite web | url=http://www.ahouse.com/history.html | title=History | access-date=November 28, 2015 | archive-date=April 11, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411232355/http://ahouse.com/history.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* The [[Black Cat Bar]], founded in 1906 and operated again after Prohibition was ended in 1933, was located in [[San Francisco]]'s [[North Beach, San Francisco|North Beach]] neighborhood and was the focus of one of the earliest victories of the [[homophile movement]]. In 1951, the [[Supreme Court of California|California Supreme Court]] affirmed the right of homosexuals to assemble in a case brought by the heterosexual owner of the bar.
* [[Black Cat Tavern|The Black Cat Tavern]] opened in November 1966 and was one of many LGBTQ+ bars to be raided, which happened on New Year's Day in 1967. It is now considered a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
[[File:Cafe Lafitte in Exile by Tony Webster.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Cafe Lafitte in Exile]], on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, opened in 1933, has a storied past, replete with celebrities.]]
* [[Cafe Lafitte in Exile]] in [[New Orleans]], dating back to 1933 and the end of Prohibition, claims to be the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the United States.
* [[The Double Header]] in [[Seattle|Seattle's]] Pioneer Square is claimed to be the oldest gay bar on the North American West Coast, operating since 1933.<ref>{{cite news | first=Kery | last=Murakami | title=No longer at the center of Seattle's gay scene, bar still serving outsiders | url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/320946_doubleheader23.html | work=The Seattle PI | date=June 23, 2007 | access-date=1 January 2011}}</ref>
* [[Esta Noche (gay bar)|Esta Noche]] was the first gay Latino bar in San Francisco; it opened in 1979. It was located on Mission Street and 16th Street. It closed down in 1997 as one of the last gay Latino bars in the [[Mission District, San Francisco|Mission District]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://works.bepress.com/horacio_roqueramirez/4/|title=""'Mira, Yo Soy Boricua y Estoy Aquí': Rafa Negrón's Pan Dulce and the Queer Sonic Latinaje of San Francisco"" by Horacio N Roque Ramirez|last=Press|first=Berkeley Electronic|website=works.bepress.com|access-date=2016-04-07|archive-date=2016-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102192150/http://works.bepress.com/horacio_roqueramirez/4/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
* [[Eve's Hangout]] was one of the first lesbian bars,<ref name=Gattuso>{{cite web|last=Gattuso|first=Reina|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-was-first-gay-bar|title=The Founder of America's Earliest Lesbian Bar Was Deported for Obscenity|website=[[Atlas Obscura]]|date=September 3, 2019}}</ref> also called Eve Adams Tearoom. It closed after a police raid in 1926. [[Eva Kotchever]], the owner, was deported to Europe and murdered at Auschwitz.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/nightlife/features/gay-bar-history-2013-1/|title=The History of Gay Bars -- New York Magazine - Nymag|website=New York Magazine|date=4 January 2013 }}</ref>
* [[Julius (New York City)|Julius Bar]], founded by local socialite Matthew Nicol, is the first modern gay bar in [[New York City]]. It is where the [[Mattachine Society]] staged a "Sip-In" on 21 April 1966 challenging a New York State Liquor Authority rule that prohibited serving [[alcoholic beverage]]s to gays on the basis that they were considered disorderly. The court ruling in the case that gays could peacefully assemble at bars would lead to the opening of the [[Stonewall Inn]] a block southwest in 1967, which in turn led to the 1969 [[Stonewall Riots]]. Julius is New York City's oldest continuously operating gay bar.<ref>{{cite news | first=Scott | last=Simon | title=Remembering a 1966 'Sip-In' for Gay Rights | url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91993823 | publisher=National Public Radio | date=28 June 2008 | access-date=2008-11-26}}</ref>
* [[Cotton Street, Shreveport, Louisiana|Korner Lounge]] (1933) of Shreveport, Louisiana is believed to be the second oldest continuously operating gay bar in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://heliopolis.la/common-interests-a-korner-of-history/|title=Common Interests: A Korner of History|last=Kennedy|first=Esther|date=2015-03-31|website=Heliopolis|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-28}}</ref>
* [[Maud's (bar)|Maud's Study]] (961 Cole Street, San Francisco), featured in the film ''[[Last Call at Maud's (1993 film)|Last Call at Maud's]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/last-call-at-maud-s-1200431389/|title=Last Call at Maud's|first1=Derek|last1=Elley|date=February 26, 1993}}</ref> was a lesbian bar which was founded by [[Rikki Streicher]] in 1966 and closed in September 1989. At closing, it claimed to be the oldest continuously operating lesbian bar.<ref>Bajko, Matthew, "[http://ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=71691 For Many, Shuttered SF Lesbian Bar Maud's Was Home,"''The Bay Area Reporter''], June 30, 2016</ref> It closed during the AIDS crisis when a "clean and sober" mentality drove down a lot of bars.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Girls in the Back Room: Looking at the Lesbian Bar|last=Hankin|first=Kelly|publisher=University of Minnesota Press|year=2002}}</ref>
* Nob Hill (1101 Kenyon St NW) In Washington D.C was a gay bar dedicated to providing a safe space for queer African-American men. Due to segregation many gay bars in the U.S. were centered around white queer people but from 1957 to 2004 Nob Hill was a space for Black queer people to celebrate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nob Hill Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=86014 |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}</ref> Nobb Hill was run for and by Black queer men and was one of the longest gay nightlife establishments in D.C and the entire country.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nob Hill, Washington, DC (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/places/nob-hill-dc.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810011051/https://www.nps.gov/places/nob-hill-dc.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 10, 2017 |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref>
* The [[White Horse Inn (Oakland, California)|White Horse Inn]] in [[Oakland, California]], operating legally since the end of Prohibition, but also likely illegally during it, claims to be the oldest gay bar in operation in the U.S.<ref name="White Horse Bar">{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/americas-oldest-gay-bar_n_3314338.html | title=America's Oldest Gay Bar, WhiteHorse, Turns 80 | work=Huffington Post | date=May 21, 2013 | access-date=November 28, 2015}}</ref>

== HIV/AIDS impact and response==
{{see also|Alcohol and sex}}

Gay bars have been heavily impacted by the [[epidemiology of HIV/AIDS]] with both potential risk and crucial community support and education.

[[LGBT culture in San Francisco|San Francisco]] had over 100 gay bars when the epidemic first hit in the early 1980s; by 2011 there were only about 30 remaining.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_gay_bar/2011/06/the_gay_bar.html|title=The Gay Bar|first=June|last=Thomas|date=July 1, 2011|journal=Slate}}</ref> During the worst years of the epidemic, before affordable and effective treatment, millions of gay men around the world died; consequently fewer persons owned or patronized gay bars.

=== Sexually transmitted infections ===
A 2009 study revealed a correlation between gay bar attendance and certain high-risk sexual behaviors. Specifically, the research indicated that individuals who frequented gay bars were more likely to engage in insertive unprotected anal intercourse, including with partners whose HIV status differed from their own.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Flores |first1=SA |last2=Mansergh |first2=G |last3=Marks |first3=G |last4=Guzman |first4=R |last5=Colfax |first5=G |title=Gay identity-related factors and sexual risk among men who have sex with men in San Francisco. |journal=AIDS Education and Prevention |date=April 2009 |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=91–103 |doi=10.1521/aeap.2009.21.2.91 |pmid=19397432}}</ref>

=== HIV-affected community ===
{{main|HIV-affected community}}

Gay bars have always been a place of refuge and support for gay men and the [[HIV-affected community]] impacted by the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/dining-news/atlanta-needs-its-gay-bars-now-more-than-ever/|title=Atlanta needs its gay bars now more than ever|date=9 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.them.us/story/san-francisco-queer-nightlife-80s-90s|title=At the Height of AIDS, San Francisco's Queer Nightlife Became a Refuge|first=Marke|last=B|website=them.|date=15 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.queerty.com/watch-steamy-new-doc-chronicles-west-coast-answer-studio-54-20200424|title=WATCH: Steamy new doc chronicles the West Coast answer to Studio 54|first=David|last=Reddish|date=April 24, 2020|website=Queerty}}</ref> Cure fundraising, testing, support group, and free condom events have been present at gay bars.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2019/12/gay-bars-hiv-treatment-nola.html|title=Gay Bars Offer an Ideal Space for Community HIV Services. But Only if They Can Stay in Business.|first=Rhodes|last=Murphy|date=December 4, 2019|website=Slate Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfweekly.com/news/free-water-gay-bars-may-help-reduce-hiv-rates/|title=Free Water at Gay Bars May Help Reduce HIV Rates|first=Nuala Sawyer|last=Bishari|date=December 18, 2016|website=SF Weekly}}</ref> The National Institute of Health has noted that the [[gentrification]] of gay neighborhoods, the movement of more gay people into the suburbs, and decreased overall participation in AIDS and HIV related activism, health care providers are needing to turn to alternate venues to promote sexual wellness among this community. Turning to social media and other online resources, there has been an increase in these digital formats and approaches being used to spread HIV awareness among gay men around the world.<ref>Simon Rosser, B. R., William West, and Richard Weinmeyer. “Are Gay Communities Dying or Just in Transition? Results from an International Consultation Examining Possible Structural Change in Gay Communities.” ''AIDS Care'' 20, no. 5 (May 1, 2008): 588–95. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1080/09540120701867156</nowiki>.</ref>

== Speculation over declining locations ==

Some commentators have suggested that gay bars are facing decline in the contemporary age due to the pervasiveness of technology. [[Andrew Sullivan]] argued in his 2005 essay "The End of Gay Culture" that gay bars are declining because "the Internet dealt them a body blow. If you are merely looking for sex or a date, the Web is now the first stop for most gay men".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/the-end-gay-culture|title=The End of Gay Culture|first=Andrew|last=Sullivan|publisher=The New Republic|date=4 October 2005|access-date=22 January 2013}}</ref>

June Thomas explained the decline by noting that there is less need for gay-specific venues like bars because gay people are less likely to encounter discrimination or be made unwelcome in wider society.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_gay_bar/2011/06/the_gay_bar_6.html|title=The Gay Bar: is it dying|first=June|last=Thomas|journal=Slate|date=27 June 2011|access-date=22 January 2013}}</ref> ''Entrepreneur'' magazine in 2007 included them on a list of ten types of business that would be extinct by 2017 along with record stores, used bookstores and newspapers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/184288|title=10 Businesses Facing Extinction in 10 Years|first=Geoff|last=Williams|publisher=Entrepreneur|date=19 September 2007|access-date=22 January 2013}}</ref>

Some commentators have argued there has been some recent decline in gay-specific venues mainly due to the modern effects of [[gentrification]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.queerty.com/no-gay-hook-apps-arent-killing-gay-bars-actually-far-complicated-20190127|title=No, gay hook up apps aren't killing gay bars — it's actually far more complicated|first=Daniel|last=Villarreal|date=January 27, 2019|website=Queerty}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/21/us/gay-pride-lgbtq-gayborhood.html|title=There Goes the Gayborhood|first=Scott|last=James|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://laist.com/2019/08/13/west_hollywood_gentrification.php|title=Is Gentrification Making West Hollywood Less Gay?|first=Elizabeth|last=Aguilar|website=LAist|access-date=2020-02-27|archive-date=2020-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409171737/https://laist.com/2019/08/13/west_hollywood_gentrification.php|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jan/13/end-of-gaytrification-cities-lgbt-communities-gentrification-gay-villages|title=The 'gaytrification' effect: why gay neighbourhoods are being priced out|date=January 13, 2016|website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.good.is/features/disappearing-gay-bars|title=Is Gentrification Killing The Gay Bar?|date=April 17, 2018|website=GOOD}}</ref> By building physical spaces to host their community, gay men have introduced gay bars in urban neighborhoods to resist homophobia and ground a sense of belonging in the cities they live in and occupy. Gentrification of inner-cities via gay bars is partially a result of the efforts made by the LGBT community to instill hubs.<ref>Doan, Petra, and Harrison Higgins. “The Demise of Queer Space? Resurgent Gentrification and the Assimilation of LGBT Neighborhoods.” ''Journal of Planning Education and Research'' 31 (March 1, 2011): 6–25. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X10391266</nowiki>.</ref> But despite the decline, gay bars still exist in relatively strong numbers and thrive in most major cities where male homosexuality is not heavily condemned. They also asserted many gay men (especially men new to gay nightlife) still find some value in gay-specific venues and being in the company of other gay men.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-28/the-american-gay-bar-is-down-but-don-t-count-it-out-just-yet |title= The American Gay Bar Is Down, But Don't Count It Out Just Yet|last=Morgan |first=Richard |date=June 28, 2019 |website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2020-10-03}}</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/design-and-architecture/why-gay-bars-are-vital-for-lgbt-communities|title=Why Gay Bars are Vital for LGBT Communities|date=June 15, 2016|website=KCRW}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newnownext.com/the-50-most-popular-gay-bars-in-the-u-s/02/2018/|title=The 50 Most Popular Gay Bars In The United States|first=Bryan van|last=Gorder 2/6/2018|website=LOGO News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/louisekhong/amazing-gay-bars-around-the-world|title=25 Amazing Gay Bars Around The World To Put On Your Bucket List|first=Louise|last=Khong|website=BuzzFeed|date=28 June 2019 }}</ref> With there being an increase in LGBT acceptance throughout the United States, there appears to be a correlation between a decrease in the number of people within the community seeking out gay bars—as they are able to connect through other spaces and ways. The fate of established gay bars is affected by this transition and change in popularity as they may not be able to continue running due to lessened demand. Regarding gay bars in rural areas, there exists the possibility of LGBTQ+ members being affected by gentrification as people outside of the community move in surrounding spaces.<ref>Mattson, Greggor. “Small–City Gay Bars, Big–City Urbanism.” ''City & Community'' 19, no. 1 (March 1, 2020): 76–97. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1111/cico.12443</nowiki>.</ref>

Unlike gay bars, lesbian bars have become a rarity around the world. Many articles have been published discussing possible reasons as to why lesbian bars struggle to exist despite a growing lesbian population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elitedaily.com/life/lesbian-bars-queer-acceptance/1398823|title=Why Lesbian Bars Are Disappearing At The Height Of Queer Acceptance|first=Meg Ten|last=Eyck|website=Elite Daily|date=8 March 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/06/21/why-are-all-the-lesbian-bars-disappearing/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911174137/https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/06/21/why-are-all-the-lesbian-bars-disappearing/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 11, 2018|title=Why Are All The Lesbian Bars Disappearing? &#124; The Village Voice|website=www.villagevoice.com|date=21 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://brokelyn.com/where-have-all-the-lesbian-bars-gone/|title=Where have all the lesbian bars gone?|date=August 8, 2018|website=Brokelyn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dopesontheroad.com/all-lesbian-bars-left-worldwide/|title=A Rapidly Shrinking List of All the Lesbian Bars Left Worldwide|date=May 30, 2019}}</ref> Reasons for the decline in Lesbian bars and other spaces for queer women include: the popularity of the internet for women to meet and create community, and finances/funding for queer establishments. As queer women have leaned towards social media to meet people, presence at queer-centered spaces has gone down, which has affected the economic stability/standing of Lesbian bars. The more reclusive spending practices and culture of queer women is also a factor that may be connected to the decline of Lesbian bars.<ref>Bailey, Eliza Jane. “PERSONAL NARRATIVES: DISCOVERING SAN FRANCISCO’S CHANGING SPACES FOR QUEER WOMEN.” Thesis, San Francisco State University, 2021. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.46569/20.500.12680/765376710</nowiki>.</ref>

== Gentrification ==
Gay bars have historically been connected to the process of gentrification—people in the LGBTQ+ community have been both victims and/or agents. Complexities arise at the assessment of gentrification and the LGBTQ+ community as gay bars along with other queer-led establishments have at times been forms of infrastructure that contribute to driving out previous communities—which are oftentimes lower-class people of color living in urban areas. And as an effect of historic “gayborhoods” remodeling and renovating areas, there have been price increases on rent that in turn make it difficult for LGBTQ+ people to remain. Thus, the presence of the gay community in major cities becomes dispersed, leading to establishments such as gay bars closing or having a lower clientele.<ref>Doan, Petra L., and Harrison Higgins. “The Demise of Queer Space? Resurgent Gentrification and the Assimilation of LGBT Neighborhoods.” ''Journal of Planning Education and Research'' 31, no. 1 (March 2011): 6–25. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X10391266</nowiki>.</ref> As changes in the current population of certain areas across the country can be traced back to institutional and financial forces that drive out residing demographics of certain races and class identities. The matter of gentrification and people of color in the LGBTQ+ community thus becomes complicated and nuanced—as these individuals are then in a divided positioned that places aspects of their identities at a cross.<ref>Rucks-Ahidiana, Zawadi. “Racial Composition and Trajectories of Gentrification in the United States.” ''Urban Studies'' 58, no. 13 (October 1, 2021): 2721–41. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098020963853</nowiki>.</ref><ref>Liddle, Kyle A. “Gentrification and Queer Oral Histories: The Loss and Return to Intergenerational Discourse.” Thesis, San Francisco State University, 2020. <nowiki>https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/rv043058z</nowiki>.</ref>

The matter of displacement caused by gentrification in gay neighborhoods is complicated through the experiences of individuals within the greater queer community—with factors such as: race, income, and sexuality. People within the LGBTQ+ community engage with gentrification from different sides as they move to seek refuge in big cities, which may eventually lead to previous tenants being priced out. And as some spaces with a high density of LGBTQ+ clientele continue to grow and gain popularity, people outside of the community might begin to move in which drives out the queer community, thus patronage in gay bars decreases—affecting their profits and stability.<ref>Liddle, Kyle A. “Gentrification and Queer Oral Histories: The Loss and Return to Intergenerational Discourse.” Thesis, San Francisco State University, 2020. <nowiki>https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/rv043058z</nowiki>.</ref><ref>Spring, Amy, and Kayla Charleston. “Gentrification and the Shifting Geography of Male Same-Sex Couples.” ''Population Research and Policy Review'' 40, no. 6 (December 1, 2021): 1163–94. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-020-09625-4</nowiki>.</ref>

In major cities such as San Francisco and Atlanta, there have been documented studies that explore the formation of queer neighborhoods—which often exclude or become a force that leads to the removal of the communities living there previously. A class barrier becomes established, which then also excludes the queer working-class residents of people of color in the area who cannot afford access to the spaces led and dominated by affluent white gay men.<ref>Doan, Petra L., and Harrison Higgins. “The Demise of Queer Space? Resurgent Gentrification and the Assimilation of LGBT Neighborhoods.” ''Journal of Planning Education and Research'' 31, no. 1 (March 2011): 6–25. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X10391266</nowiki>.</ref><ref>Cofield, Rachael S. (Rachael Sarah). “Queer Urban Space Beyond the Gayborhood: Sexuality, Gentrification, and Displacement in Atlanta.” Ph.D. Dissertation, The Florida State University, 2021. <nowiki>https://repository.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu%3A776836/</nowiki>.</ref> In an effort to escape verbal and physical violence, the gay community has sought to move to places such as the Castro District in San Francisco to avoid the chances of being targeted. Living in fear of hate crimes, many gayborhoods have a history of being formed out of a desire to form havens for the community. As some people living near or in those neighborhoods begin to notice the increase in queer people moving in, along with being priced out, there are also people who willingly seek to make a profit on selling their home to people who find the area attractive due to the popularity.<ref>“Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco: The Castro | The Hidden Cities of San Francisco: The Castro | PBS.” Television Documentary. San Francisco, CA: PBS KQED, 1997. <nowiki>https://www.pbs.org/video/the-hidden-cities-of-san-francisco-the-castro-gumu8n/</nowiki>.</ref>

== Gay bars and pinkwashing ==
The presence of gay bars has been used to make political arguments about the safety and desirability of neighborhoods and communities.<ref>Shafie, Ghadir. “Pinkwashing: Israel’s International Strategy and Internal Agenda,” Summer 2015.</ref> In the case of Israel, the presence of established gay bars and the publicized government stance of LGBT acceptance has been used to advertise the country as a safe and progressive location in West Asia for LGBT people.<ref>Kelly, Jennifer Lynn. “Israeli Gay Tourist Initiatives and the (In)Visibility of State Violence.” ''GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies'' 26, no. 1 (January 1, 2020): 160–73. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-7929199</nowiki>.</ref> Image of gay bars frequently occur in Israeli marketing campaigns for “[[Pink money|pink dollars]].” This practice of using gay bar to promote Israel's agenda both internationally and domestically has been termed “[[Pinkwashing (LGBTQ)|pinkwashing]].” <ref>Ritchie, Jason. “Pinkwashing, Homonationalism, and Israel–Palestine: The Conceits of Queer Theory and the Politics of the Ordinary - Ritchie - 2015 - Antipode - Wiley Online Library,” June 3, 2014. <nowiki>https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/anti.12100</nowiki>.</ref><ref>Hickey, Grace. “Homonationalism and Pinkwashing: The Rebranding of Israel (2010–2019).” Thesis, Institute of Art, Design + Technology, 2024. <nowiki>https://illustro-iadt.figshare.com/articles/thesis/Homonationalism_and_pinkwashing_The_rebranding_of_Israel_2010_2019_/25206707/1</nowiki>.</ref> Numerous accounts by queer Palestinians reflect a common sentiment of hostility while in gay bar spaces in Israel. This often begins by them having to go through checkpoints when attempting to access those spaces.<ref>Ritchie, Jason. “Pinkwashing, Homonationalism, and Israel–Palestine: The Conceits of Queer Theory and the Politics of the Ordinary - Ritchie - 2015 - Antipode - Wiley Online Library,” June 3, 2014. <nowiki>https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/anti.12100</nowiki>.</ref> When their queerness is acknowledged by police and at border check points, it typically intensifies the abuse rather than mitigating it, serving as a vulnerability rather than a form of protection.<ref>Ritchie, Jason. “Pinkwashing, Homonationalism, and Israel–Palestine: The Conceits of Queer Theory and the Politics of the Ordinary - Ritchie - 2015 - Antipode - Wiley Online Library,” June 3, 2014. <nowiki>https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/anti.12100</nowiki>.</ref>

==Background==

[[File:Barzilay Venue in Tel Aviv Israel.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The interior of a gay bar in [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]], which features a dance floor and music]]

[[File:De Waterkant 7.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hub of men-only gay bars in [[Cape Town]], South Africa]]

Like most bars and pubs, gay bars range in size from the small, five-seat bars of [[Tokyo]] to large, multi-story clubs with several distinct areas and more than one dance floor. A large venue may be referred to as a [[nightclub]], [[Club (organization)|club]], or bar, while smaller venues are typically called bars and sometimes [[pubs]]. The only defining characteristic of a gay bar is the nature of its clientele. While many gay bars target the gay and/or lesbian communities, some (usually older and firmly established) gay bars have become gay, as it were, through custom, over a long period of time.

The serving of alcohol is the primary business of gay bars and pubs. Like non-gay establishments they serve as a meeting place and LGBTQ+ community focal point, in which conversation, relaxation, and meeting potential romantic and sexual partners is the primary focus of the clientele. Historically and continuing in many communities, gay bars have been valued by patrons as the only place closeted gay men and lesbians can be open and demonstrative about their sexuality without fear of discovery. [[Gerard Koskovich]] of the [[GLBT Historical Society|Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society]] explains that "[Gay bars] were a public place where gay people could meet and start to have a conversation, where they didn't feel like sexual freaks or somehow not part of the larger social fabric; from that came culture, politics, demands for equal rights."<ref name="San Francisco Chronicle">{{cite news | url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/lgbt/article/Oakland-s-White-Horse-gay-bar-turns-80-4503994.php?t=17c55728e38cb1714c | title=Oakland's White Horse gay bar turns 80 | work=San Francisco Chronicle | date=May 9, 2013 | access-date=November 28, 2015 | author=Jones, Carolyn}}</ref>

Gay bars traditionally preferred to remain discreet and virtually unidentifiable outside the gay community, relying exclusively on word of mouth promotion. More recently, gay clubs and events are often advertised by handing out eye-catching [[flyer (pamphlet)|flyers]] on the street, in gay or gay-friendly shops and venues, and at other clubs and events. Similar to flyers for predominantly heterosexual venues, these flyers frequently feature provocative images and theme party announcements.

While traditional gay pub-like bars are nearly identical to bars catering to the general public, gay dance venues often feature elaborate lighting design and video projection, fog machines and raised dancing platforms. Hired dancers (called [[go-go dancing|go-go girls]] or [[go-go dancing|go-go boys]]) may also feature in decorative cages or on podiums. Gay sports bars are relatively unusual, but it is not unusual for gay bars to sponsor teams in local sports/game leagues, and many otherwise traditional gay pubs are well known for hosting post-game parties—often filling with local gay athletes and their fans on specific nights or when major professional sporting events are broadcast on TV. Some of the longest established gay bars are unofficial hosts of elaborate local 'Royal Court' drag pageants and drag-related social groups.

[[File:Vivelavie-amsterdam-2008.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Lesbian bar Vivelavie in Amsterdam, 2008]]
[[File:Miss B at DTM.jpg|thumb|left|Finnish [[drag queen]] Miss B on stage at the [[DTM (nightclub)|DTM club]] in [[Helsinki]], Finland, in 2019]]

Gay bars and nightclubs are sometimes segregated by sex. In some establishments, people who are perceived to be of the "wrong" sex (for example, a man attempting to enter a women's club) may be unwelcome or even barred from entry. This may be more common in specialty bars, such as gay male [[leather fetish]] or [[BDSM]] bars, or bars or clubs which have a strict [[dress code]]. It is also common in bars and clubs where sex on the premises is a primary focus of the establishment. On the other hand, gay bars are usually welcoming of [[transgender]] and cross-dressed people, and [[Drag queen|drag]] shows are a common feature in many gay bars, even men-only spaces. Some gay bars and clubs which have a predominantly male clientele, as well as some [[gay bathhouse]]s and other [[sex club]]s, may offer occasional women-only nights.

A few gay bars attempt to restrict entry to only gay or lesbian people, but in practice this is difficult to enforce. Most famously, [[Melbourne]]'s Peel Hotel was granted an exemption from [[Australia|Australia's]] [[Equal Opportunities Act]] by a state tribunal, on the grounds that the exemption was needed to prevent "sexually-based insults and violence" aimed at the pub's patrons. As a result of the decision, the pub is legally able to advertise as a "gay only" establishment, and [[Bouncer (doorman)|door staff]] can ask people whether they are gay before allowing them inside, and can turn away non-gay people.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press |title=Australian gay bar can ban straights |url=http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid45504.asp |work=The Advocate |date=30 May 2007 |access-date=2008-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007162545/http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid45504.asp |archive-date=2008-10-07 }}</ref>

[[File:Vanity Ytinav in front of Esta Noche.png|thumb|Vanity Ytinav in front of [[Esta Noche (gay bar)|Esta Noche]], a Latino gay bar in San Francisco]]

Already categorized as gay or lesbian, many gay bars in larger cities/urban areas take this sub-categorization a step further by appealing to distinct subcultures within the gay community. Some of these sub-cultures are defined by costume and performance. These bars often forge a like-minded community in dozens of cities with leather gay bars, line-dancing gay bars, and drag revues. Other subcultures cater to men who fit a certain type, one that is often defined by age, body type, personality, and musical preference. There are some bars and clubs that cater more to a [[working class]]/[[blue collar]] crowd and some that cater to a more upscale clientele. There are gay bars that cater to "[[twink (gay slang)|twinks]]" (young, smooth-bodied [[wikt:pretty boy|pretty boys]]) and others that cater to [[bear (gay culture)|bears]] (older, larger, hairier alternatives to the well-manicured and fey [[LGBT stereotypes|gay stereotype]]). There are also gay bars that cater to certain races, such as ones for Asian men "and their admirers", Latin men, or black men.<ref>{{cite web|title=Night. Life. |url=http://www.gaybarculture.com |work=Gay Bar Culture |year=2008 |access-date=2008-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912160258/http://www.gaybarculture.com/ |archive-date=September 12, 2008 }}</ref>

=== Gay cruise bar ===
{{see also|Cruising for sex}}
{{independent sources|section|date=July 2023}}
A variation of the gay bar is the gay cruise bar. Normally gay bars usually prohibit sexual activity other than [[kiss]]ing or [[flirting]] on the premises, however cruise bars allow sex to happen on their property. Cruise bars have a secured entrance door so that only adults can enter, a cloakroom area to allow patrons to change, and seating that allow sexual activity to happen. There is usually an entrance change, however on special occasions it is waived. Mobile phones are banned for privacy reasons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQs |url=https://www.vault139.com/faqs/ |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=Vault 139 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Notable cruise bars include Vault 139 <ref>{{Cite web |title=Vault 139 {{!}} Gay cruise bar in London |url=https://www.vault139.com/ |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=Vault 139 |language=en-GB}}</ref> and Bunker Bar<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bunker Bar |url=http://www.bunkerbar.co.uk/ |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=MA1: The Bunker}}</ref> in London.

==Music==

Music, either live or, more commonly, mixed by a [[disc jockey]] (DJ), is often a prominent feature of gay bars. Typically, the music in gay bars include [[Pop music|pop]], [[Dance music|dance]], [[Electropop]], [[House music|house]], [[Trance music|trance]], and [[Techno music|techno]]. In larger North American cities and in Australia, one or more gay bars with a country music theme and line dancing are also common, as are bars known for retro 1960s pop and "Motown Sound."

== List of gay bars ==
''This is not a complete list of gay bars around the world.''
<!-- PLEASE: Only list bars that have articles, if the bar has no article you have to create it first then add it. see [[Wikipedia:Write the article first]]. Please keep list alphabetical by country. -->
{{See also|List of LGBT bars}}

'''Argentina'''
* [[Amerika (nightclub)|Amerika]], [[Buenos Aires]]

'''Canada'''
* [[Woody's (Toronto)|Woody's]], [[Toronto]]

'''Colombia'''
* [[Theatron (Bogotá)|Theatron]], [[Bogotá]]

'''Denmark'''
* [[Pan Club Copenhagen]] (closed 2007)

'''Finland'''
* [[DTM (nightclub)|DTM]], [[Helsinki]]
* [[Hercules (nightclub)|Hercules]], Helsinki

'''Ireland'''
* [[The George, Dublin]]
* [[Panti]] Bar, Dublin

'''Netherlands'''
* [[Café 't Mandje]]

'''Puerto Rico'''
* [[Loverbar]]

'''Thailand'''
* [[Sunee Plaza]], a close collection of gay bars

'''United Kingdom'''
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|* [[Admiral Duncan (pub)|Admiral Duncan]], London
* [[Comptons of Soho]], London
* [[Royal Vauxhall Tavern]], [[London]]
* [[G-A-Y]], London
* [[The Black Cap]], London
* [[Coleherne pub|The Coleherne]], London (closed)
* [[London Astoria]] (closed)
* [[Heaven (nightclub)|Heaven]], London
* [[Cruz 101]], [[Manchester]]
* [[Planet Bar]], [[Edinburgh]]
* [[The New Penny]], [[Leeds]]
* [[The Joiners Arms, Hackney]], London
* The Golden Lion, London - a former gay pub, now an ordinary pub
}}

'''United States'''
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|*[[Axis Nightclub]], [[The Short North]], [[Columbus, Ohio]]
* [[The Abbey (club)|The Abbey]], [[West Hollywood, California]]
* [[Black Banana]], [[Philadelphia]] (closed)
* [[Black Cat Bar]], [[San Francisco]] (closed)
* [[Black Cat Tavern]], [[Silverlake, Los Angeles, California]] (closed)
* [[CC Slaughters]], Portland, Oregon
* [[Club Universe]], [[San Francisco]] (closed)
* [[Down the Street]], [[Asbury Park, New Jersey]] (closed)
* [[Embers Avenue]], Portland, Oregon
* [[Hobo's]], Portland, Oregon
* [[Jewel's Catch One]], Los Angeles (closed)
* [[Julius (New York City)|Julius]], [[New York City]]
* [[Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon]], [[Houston]], Texas
* [[Paddock Club]], [[Greenville, North Carolina]] (closed)
* [[Phase 1 (bar)|Phase 1]], [[Washington, D.C.]]
* [[Pulse (nightclub)|Pulse]], [[Orlando, Florida]] (closed after a mass shooting on the night of June 12, 2016)
* [[Red Cap Garage]], Portland, Oregon (closed)
* [[Silverado (gay bar)|Silverado]], Portland, Oregon
* [[South Beach (nightclub)|South Beach]], [[Houston]], Texas
* [[Stag PDX]], Portland, Oregon
* [[Stonewall Inn]], [[New York City]]
* [[This Is It! (bar)|This Is It!]], [[Milwaukee]], Wisconsin (closed) 
* [[Three Sisters Tavern]], [[Portland, Oregon]] (closed)
* [[Velvet Nation]] at [[Nation (nightclub)|Nation]], Washington, D.C. (closed)
* [[Ziegfeld's]], Washington, D.C.
}}

== List of lesbian bars ==
{{Main|List of lesbian bars}}
While some gay bars open their doors to all LGBTQ people, other bars cater specifically to lesbians. In recent years many popular [[lesbian bar]]s have closed down. In 2015, [[JD Samson]] made a documentary exploring the very few remaining lesbian bars in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afterellen.com/people/448465-broadly-goes-last-lesbian-bars |title=Broadly goes to "The Last Lesbian Bars" |last=Bendix |first=Trish |date=17 August 2015 |website=AfterEllen |access-date=22 October 2015}}</ref> Although the number of established Lesbian bars in the United States has decreased, the spaces that remain serve as core locations for queer women to socialize and be in community. The attendance of queer women in lesbian bars is often higher when they are younger—with older queer women seeking lesbian bars at a lesser rate. The correlation between the stage of self-discovery and desire to attend social spaces such as lesbian bars addresses a shift as people find and connect with the queer community in other ways with time. While queer women feel more comfortable in lesbian bars compared to heterosexual bars, a lack of funds serves as a major reason for dwindling locations.<ref>Gruskin, Elisabeth, Byrne ,Kimberly, Kools ,Susan, and Andrea and Altschuler. “Consequences of Frequenting the Lesbian Bar.” ''Women & Health'' 44, no. 2 (January 15, 2007): 103–20. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1300/J013v44n02_06</nowiki>.</ref>

'''United States'''

* [[As You Are Bar]], Washington, DC <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://taggmagazine.com/as-you-are-bar-dc/|title = Queering the Gay Bar Agenda: As You Are Bar|date = 28 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/03/24/buttigieg-attends-opening-of-as-you-are-bar/|title=Buttigieg attends opening of as You Are bar|date=24 March 2022}}</ref>
* [[Babes of Carytown]], Richmond, VA <ref name="lesbianbarproject.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.lesbianbarproject.com/the-21-bars-home|title=The 21 Bars|access-date=2022-04-11|archive-date=2022-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201210238/https://www.lesbianbarproject.com/the-21-bars-home|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Blush & Blu]], Denver, CO <ref name="lesbianbarproject.com"/>
* [[Chances Bar]], [[Houston]] (closed)
* [[Henrietta Hudson]], New York, NY <ref name="lesbianbarproject.com"/>
* [[Herz (lesbian bar)|Herz]], Mobile, AL <ref name="lesbianbarproject.com"/>
* [[Maud's (bar)|Maud's]], San Francisco (closed)
* [[Peg's Place (bar)|Peg's Place]], San Francisco (closed)
* [[Phase 1 (bar)|Phase 1]], [[Washington, D.C.]] (closed)
* [[Slammers]], Columbus, OH <ref name="lesbianbarproject.com"/>
* [[Sue Ellen's]], Dallas, TX <ref name="lesbianbarproject.com"/>
* [[The Lexington Club]], San Francisco, CA (closed) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/few-lesbian-bars-remain-u-s-will-they-survive-covid-n1196891|title = Few lesbian bars remain in the U.S. Will they survive COVID-19?|website = [[NBC News]]| date=May 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sf.eater.com/2014/10/24/7059907/san-franciscos-only-lesbian-bar-the-lexington-club-is-closing|title = San Francisco's Only Lesbian Bar, the Lexington Club, is Closing|date = 24 October 2014}}</ref>
* [[Toasted Walnut]], Philadelphia, PA (closed)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/toasted-walnut-lesbian-bar-closing-philadelphia-20210303.html|title=With closure of Philly's only lesbian bar, we lose another safe space for queer women &#124; Opinion|date=3 March 2021 }}</ref>
* [[The Wildrose (bar)|Wildrose]], Seattle, WA <ref name="lesbianbarproject.com"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/21-lesbian-bars-remain-in-the-america-owners-share-why-they-must-be-protected|title=21 lesbian bars remain in America. Owners share why they must be protected|website=[[PBS]]|date=10 June 2021}}</ref> 
* [[Wild Side West]], San Francisco, CA <ref name="lesbianbarproject.com"/>

'''United Kingdom'''
* [[Candy Bar, Soho]] (closed)
* [[Gateways club]] (London) (closed)

==See also==

* [[Circuit party]]
*[[Gay village]]
* [[Homosocialization]]
* [[Index of drinking establishment-related articles]]
* [[Lesbian bar]]
* [[List of bars]]
* [[Lloyd G. Davies]], Los Angeles City Council member, 1943–51, fought against "undesirable" bars in Hollywood, California
* ''[[Our Happy Hours]]: LGBT Voices from the Gay Bars''
{{wikiquote}}

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last1=Cante|first1=Richard C.|title=Gay Men and the Forms of Contemporary US Culture|year=2008|publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]]|location=Farnham, United Kingdom|isbn=978-0754672302}}
* {{cite web|last1=Johnson|first1=Matthew D.|last2=Summers|first2=Claude J.|title=Gay and Lesbian Bars|url=http://www.glbtqarchive.com/ssh/gay_lesbian_bars_S.pdf|website=[[glbtq.com]]|date=2005}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Mattson|first1=Greggor|title=Are Gay Bars Closing? Using Business Listings to Infer Rates of Gay Bar Closure in the United States, 1977–2019|journal=Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World|volume=5|date=January 1, 2019|article-number=2378023119894832 |publisher=[[American Sociological Association]]|doi=10.1177/2378023119894832|issn=2378-0231|doi-access=free}}

==External links==
* [https://gaybarchives.com/ Gay Bar Archives - USA focused archive of gay bars]
* [https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/black-owned-gay-bars-are-dwindling-can-they-survive-covid-n1241100 Black-owned gay bars are dwindling]. Julie Compton, (September 27, 2020), NBC News.

{{Portal bar|LGBTQ|Liquor|Human sexuality}}
{{LGBTQ|culture=expanded}}
{{LGBTcultureworldwide}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:LGBTQ nightclubs| ]]
[[Category:Types of drinking establishment]]
[[Category:LGBTQ drinking establishments]]