Around the country new LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations are popping up and fueling communities. Whether it’s a new restaurant with an amazing menu, a cocktail bar with new twists on the classics, or community spaces where all are welcome, we’re glad to see the LGBTQ+ community thriving.
But there’s still something to be said for the mainstays of LGBTQ+ culture in the U.S.’s cities. Queer bar and nightclub spaces have come and gone in a near constant rotation since the mid-20th century, but a few strong pillars remain. Here’s our some highlights.
The Stonewall Inn – Greenwich Village, New York
The Stonewall Inn, where six days of protest followed a bar raid in 1969 when NYC police dragged LGBTQ+ bar patrons and employees out of the building is now a National Historic Landmark. The riots sparked a new fervor in the gay rights movement in major cities across the nation. And what’s great is you can live the history and proudly grab a drink there today. The bar hosts events nearly every day of the week with scheduled DJs, dance parties, and drag shows.
Henrietta Hudson – Greenwich Village, New York
As lesbian bars in major cities have dwindled, Henrietta Hudson remains one of the strongest pillars of the community for queer women. Head to Greenwich Village to find this piece of history where owner Lisa Cannistraci became a bartender in 1985, when the bar was known as the Cubby Hole. In 1991, Cannistraci opened Henrietta Hudson in the same space with the help of Minnie Rivera. Though they now consider themselves a “Queer Human Bar,” they built their legacy as the longest running lesbian bar in the U.S. Stop by and stay until 4 A. M. while you sip on cocktails and mingle!
Club Feathers – River Edge, New Jersey
This LGBTQ+ nightclub has been a destination for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, out-of-towners, and locals since 1978. Here drag shows give way to boozy GoGo boys who will entertain you one night and watch you bring the heat at karaoke the next. Don’t miss the fun at this unassuming spot, which is housed in a remodeled home. It may not seem it at first, but Club Feathers may ruffle your feathers and give you the best night you’ve had in a while.
Cafe Lafitte in Exile – New Orleans, Louisiana
A safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community in the deep south, Cafe Lafitte has been drawing in queer folk from surrounding cities and states since the 1930s. It is self-proclaimed the “oldest continuously operating gay bar in the United States,” according to their website. Since it opened in a post-prohibition south, Lafitte’s has served gay icons like Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote. They’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Yes, you heard that right. There’s no excuse to visit New Orleans and miss this one.
Roosters – West Palm Beach, Florida
Though this historical spot was destroyed by a fire in May 2020, the city of West Palm Beach has contributed $166,000 in grant money to the $1.7 million rebuild of this LGBTQ+ hotspot. Roosters first started serving an LGBTQ+ crowd of mostly lesbians in the 1960s when it was an upscale bar called My Apartment. In spring of 1984 it opened as HG Roosters, and in the midst of the AIDS pandemic the bar began raising money for those affected, providing housing, food, healthcare ,and compassion to victims. After the fire and much fundraising, in 2021 the City Commission designated the bar as an official historic site. As of April of this year, the rebuild is underway and floors have been poured. Keep an eye out for the reopening so you can grab a drink when the new Roosters continues the original bars’ legacy in the coming years.
The White Horse Bar – Oakland, California
Like Cafe Lafitte, this bar has been serving queer patrons since the 1930s, making it another one of the country’s oldest continuously operating gay bars. It has evolved from a low key bar where lovers and strangers could nurture their clandestine connections into a beloved LGBTQ+ hotspot where visitors are most often out and proud. The White Horse has seen it all. Just like all the best queer bars, enjoy karaoke nights, dance parties, hot DJs, and amazing drag shows here any day of the week.
Nu Towne Saloon – Phoenix, Arizona
Nu Towne Saloon has been slinging drinks to the gay community since 1971. This bar has seen tough times, rebuilding after a devastating 2010 fire. But all the while, it’s kept its historic charm and distinctive features. The bar has been awarded landmark status in the region, but it’s not fussy. The Phoenix New Times calls the space kitschy, claiming it has maintained a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower on the roof and a 7 foot rooster statue, along with antiques and memorabilia to make you feel cozy. Here you can enjoy themed nights throughout the week, try your hand at poker on Money Mondays, save a few bucks (to make up for your poker losses) on Thrifty Tuesday, party with no shirt on Woolly Wednesdays, and much more.
