For generations of LGBTQ people, bars and restaurants have served as community pillars, as places to organize, gather, mourn, and celebrate.Įven before the pandemic, queer bars and restaurants were disappearing - and the fallout from COVID-19 has sped up that trend, prompting the creation of campaigns such as The Lesbian Bar Project to advocate for their preservation. In the era of Pride when rainbows adorn city streets and shop windows for major retailers, it’s easy to forget that today’s visibility is possible in part thanks to the LGBTQ spaces that bravely served as sanctuaries for queer people when being out publicly was unheard of, unsafe, and in some cases, even illegal.
