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Four iconic Los Angeles gay bars, touting a combined history of years, have permanently closed during the pandemic and many more have warned that they are on the brink of shutdown. Even as nightlife gradually returns, some of the remaining queer bars across southern California have resorted to crowdfunding in a last-ditch effort to stay afloat, warning that Covid may bring about the end of historic institutions that have weathered the Aids crisis and multiple economic downturns.
The pandemic has permanently closed more thanbars and restaurants across the United States but in LA, which has been under some form of lockdown restrictions since last Marchthe impact on nightclubs has been particularly brutal. It was a home for us for decades. So many people met and fell in love at Oil Can.
Before Covid, gay bars were already disappearing in LA and other US cities due to rising rents and gentrification, and as online queer dating and hookup apps grew in popularity. The venues most at risk of closing are often independently owned and cater to more underrepresented groups, including Black and Latino communities, trans and gender-nonconforming crowds and working-class neighborhoods, research has shown.
Many of the LA bars that are struggling are located outside of the West Hollywood scene, which is known for catering to white gay male crowds and is more touristy, with owners turning to GoFundMe to make it through the crisis.
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There are people who you only see there, but they are your close friends. Alvarez noted that bars like New Jalisco are much more welcoming to undocumented patrons and trans Latinas than West Hollywood establishments. Don Godoy, who ran a weekly night at Jalisco called Kafe Con Lechesaid that his dancers have relied on online events and OnlyFans to supplement their income, but that they were anxious to get back to in-person performances.
Club owners said they felt initially ashamed to ask for donations, but that they ran out of options. They are our homes, our living rooms, our extended bedrooms. He tried to do a few food pop-ups, but every effort at partially reopening has resulted in further losses. How many loans can I personally take out to survive this?
Meatball, an LA drag queen, performs at Precinct. The club in downtown is raising funds so it can remain open. Photograph: Jeremy Lucido. This article is more than 4 years old. An order of queer and trans 'nuns' in San Francisco take on an unholy year. Read more. View image in fullscreen.
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