For a time, until 2019, I collected lost women's spaces, including lesbian bars. If you're interested in looking at the various spaces that have been lost over the years, check it out: http://lostwomynsspace.blogspot.com/
I'm not a lesbian but I get what you mean. I see the erasure of lesbians in our culture. I see that everyone is gay or queer now. And that women-only spaces are now "phobic." I miss the liberal, progressive thinking that brought about acceptance of lesbians. I also miss the culture that largely ignored you if you didn't embrace queerness. I miss diversity of thought.
The Bavaria in Bradford, run by two gay men, had a women's night every Thursday which was really a lesbian night with a few straight friends. It ran for about 6 years but stopped when the pub closed in 2001.
Great essay. While Canada is such a widely spread out country - if we travelled, we had a lesbian bar to go to in every city of a certain size. I'd be pleased if someone corrected me with some good news, but I believe there are no lesbian bars left in Canada.
The Northgate Hall on St Michael’s Street, Oxford on a Friday night in the 1990s, women only. So good. I found my old, defunct OLGC membership card recently (Oxford Lesbian and Gay Club).
Thank you, Julie. We’re going to have to create a secret speak easy at this rate to have an actual lesbian bar
For a time, until 2019, I collected lost women's spaces, including lesbian bars. If you're interested in looking at the various spaces that have been lost over the years, check it out: http://lostwomynsspace.blogspot.com/
At the time I moaned copiously about them all for different reasons - bloody miss them now of course, really feels like a lost world 😢.
I'm not a lesbian but I get what you mean. I see the erasure of lesbians in our culture. I see that everyone is gay or queer now. And that women-only spaces are now "phobic." I miss the liberal, progressive thinking that brought about acceptance of lesbians. I also miss the culture that largely ignored you if you didn't embrace queerness. I miss diversity of thought.
The Bavaria in Bradford, run by two gay men, had a women's night every Thursday which was really a lesbian night with a few straight friends. It ran for about 6 years but stopped when the pub closed in 2001.
Lovely description of lesbian bar scene.
Great essay. While Canada is such a widely spread out country - if we travelled, we had a lesbian bar to go to in every city of a certain size. I'd be pleased if someone corrected me with some good news, but I believe there are no lesbian bars left in Canada.
The Northgate Hall on St Michael’s Street, Oxford on a Friday night in the 1990s, women only. So good. I found my old, defunct OLGC membership card recently (Oxford Lesbian and Gay Club).
Brilliant article. We used to go the She Club on Victoria Street, Liverpool in the early 80's.
Great night out in a safe place.
Great to hear this side of the story.