Lesbian Bar Project

The Lesbian Bar Project is a 2020 campaign created by Erica Rose and Elina Street to "celebrate, support, and preserve the remaining lesbian bars in the US." The project launched on October 28, 2020 with a PSA video narrated by Lea DeLaria. The video announced a 30-day fundraising campaign to support what were thought to be the last 15 lesbian bars left in the country, many of which were financially threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately $117,000 was raised during that time period and proceeds were split among the 13 participating bars. The Project also holds virtual events and the directors have announced a forthcoming documentary series.[1]

Lesbian Bar Project
Mission statement"To celebrate, support, and preserve the remaining lesbian bars in the United States."
Commercial?No
Type of projectFundraising, awareness campaign, cultural
LocationNew York, New York, U.S.
FounderErica Rose
Elina Street
Key peopleLea DeLaria
The Katz Company
Established28 October 2020 (2020-10-28)
Websitewww.lesbianbarproject.com

History

The Lesbian Bar Project was created by New York City-based filmmakers Elina Street and Erica Rose.[2] In fall 2020 the friends reminisced about one of their last night's out at Brooklyn lesbian bar Ginger's before it shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They decided to create a fundraiser to provide financial support to lesbian bars across the country.[2] They also noted that the number of bars has dwindled, as there were approximately 200 lesbian bars in the United States in the 1980s.[3] On October 28, 2020, the Project was announced with a YouTube PSA video co-directed by Rose and Street and narrated by Lea DeLaria.[4] The video launched a 30-day fundraising campaign and directed viewers to the official website, which features photographs of the bar interiors and testimonials from the owners.[3] The fundraiser closed on November 26, 2020 and a total of $117,504.50 was raised in that time.[5]

Virtual events for the project are ongoing, with proceeds going to the Lesbian Bar Project Pool Fund, which are distributed between the participating 13 lesbian bars, as two (Sue Ellen's and Pearl Bar) opted out of receiving funds.[2][4][6] In November 2020 the podcast Dyking Out hosted a fundraiser virtual event in collaboration with the Lesbian Bar Project, which featured performances from comedians including Lea Delaria, Sydnee Washington, and Cameron Esposito.[1]

The directors announced that they plan to develop a series of documentaries that highlights lesbian bars throughout America.[4][7] They would also like to go to other countries to feature international lesbian bars.[2]

Producers

The Lesbian Bar Project is produced in collaboration with Jägermeister and arts nonprofit Fractured Atlas.[2] Jägermeister provided support through its larger #savethenight campaign to provide funds for nightlife workers financially affected by the pandemic.[7] The project's producers are Lily Ali-Oshatz and Charles Hayes IV, and the executive producers are Lea DeLaria and The Katz Company.[5] Elina Street and Erica Rose are co-directors.[3]

These bars were identified by the Lesbian Bar Project as the last 15 lesbian bars in the United States:[4]

  • A League of Her Own (Washington, D.C.)
  • Blush&Blu (Denver, Colorado)
  • Cubbyhole (New York City)
  • Henrietta Hudson (New York City)
  • Herz (Mobile, Alabama)
  • Ginger’s (New York City)
  • Gossip Grill (San Diego, California)
  • Lipstick Lounge (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • My Sister’s Room (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Pearl Bar (Houston, Texas)
  • Slammers (Columbus, Ohio)
  • Toasted Walnut (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
  • Walker’s Pint (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
  • The Wildrose (Seattle, Washington)
  • Sue Ellen’s (Dallas, Texas)

After the Project was launched, the co-directors named lesbian bars they initially overlooked:[8]

  • Boycott Bar (Phoenix, Arizona)
  • Cash Nightclub and Lounge (Phoenix, Arizona)
  • Wild Side West (San Francisco, California)
  • Babes of Carytown (Richmond, Virginia)

References
  1. "Dyking Out with The Lesbian Bar Project". AfterEllen. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  2. Hoeffner, Melissa Kravitz. "America's Lesbian Bars Are Dwindling—This Project Wants to Change That". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  3. Romano, Andrea (2020-11-04). "There Are Only 15 Lesbian Bars Left in the U.S. — Here's How You Can Support Them". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  4. Lichtenstein, Isabelle (2020-10-29). "There Are Only 15 Lesbian Bars Left In America. The Lesbian Bar Project Wants To Save Them". GO Magazine. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  5. Wallace, Lindsay Lee (2020-12-23). "The Lesbian Bar Project Raises Over $100,000 to Protect 15 of Our Last Lesbian Bars". Autostraddle. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  6. Lichtenstein, Isabelle (2020-11-18). "Join The Lesbian Bar Project For A Virtual Roundtable Hosted By GO's Dayna Troisi". GO Magazine. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  7. Sprayregen, Molly. "The Lesbian Bar Project And Jägermeister Team Up To Save The Few Lesbian Bars Left In The Country". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  8. Srikanth, Anagha (2020-11-12). "A new campaign is trying to save the last 15 lesbian bars in the country". TheHill. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
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