Gay bar

A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities. Gay bars once served as the centre of gay culture and were one of the few places people with same-sex orientations and gender-variant identities could openly socialize. Other names used to describe these establishments include boy bar, girl bar, gay club, gay pub, queer bar, lesbian bar, and dyke bar, depending on the niche communities that they served. With the advent of the Internet and an increasing acceptance of LGBT people across the Western world, the relevance of gay bars in the LGBT community has somewhat diminished. In areas without a gay bar, certain establishments may hold a gay night.

History

Gathering places favoured by homosexuals have operated for centuries. Reports from as early as the 17th century record the existence of bars and clubs that catered to, or at least tolerated, openly gay clientele in several major European cities. The White Swan (created by James Cook and Yardley, full name unknown), on Vere Street, in London, England, was raided in 1810 during the so-called Vere Street Coterie. The raid led to the executions of Keith Mangum and Constanza Beucheat for sodomy. The site was the scene of alleged gay marriages carried out by the Reverend John Church.

Gay Bar (song)

"Gay Bar" is a song by American rock band Electric Six, and written by their lead singer, Tyler Spencer (whose band pseudonym is Dick Valentine). It was released in June 2003 as the second single off their debut album, Fire released in 2003. While both the song and music video received significant airplay, various lyrics mentioning war were edited due to their possibly offensive nature since the song made its air debut at the start of the Iraq War.

Background and writing

According to Spencer/Valentine, the idea for the song came up from incorrectly hearing the lyrics of DEVO's "Girl U Want" as "it's just a girl, it's just a girl at a gay bar" while the song was playing in a very loud nightclub. (The actual lyric is "She's just the girl, she's just the girl, the girl you want".)

Music video

The music video, directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire, was recorded in April 2003 at a movie studio in Toronto, Canada. The video depicts a series of Abraham Lincoln ('Gaybraham') look-alikes in the White House, portrayed primarily by the band's lead singer Dick Valentine, but stand-ins were used for some scenes. Various phallic images appear throughout the video, such as a bell, a train entering a tunnel, a hamster running through a tube, and so on.

Podcasts:

PLAYLIST TIME:

Gay Bar

by: Electric Six

You!
I wanna take you to a gay bar,
I wanna take you to a gay bar,
I wanna take you to a gay bar,
gay bar, gay bar.
Let's start a war, start a nuclear war,
At the gay bar, gay bar, gay bar.
Waah,
At the gay bar.
Now tell me, do ya, a do ya have any money?
I wanna spend all your money,
at the gay bar, gay bar, gay bar.
I've got something to put in you,
I've got something to put in you,
I've got something to put in you,
At the gay bar, gay bar, gay bar.
Hah!
You're a superstar at the gay bar.
Yeah you're a superstar at the gay bar.
You're a superstar at the gay bar.
Superstar.
Super, superstar!




Latest News for: gay bar

Man who drugged and robbed men in NYC gay bar murders sentenced to 8 years

NBC News 20 Mar 2025
Andre Butts, one of the men who participated in a drugging and robbery scheme of gay men that killed two people, was sentenced on Thursday to eight years in state prison ... .

A Knoxville bar mistaken for the Indy bar where Trump supporters were booted receives threats

IndyStar 20 Mar 2025
Here's what we know.Which Chatterbox bar is involved? ... "I have nothing wrong with the gay community at all," Hensley said ... Hensley said she has frequented gay-friendly bars in the past throughout Indianapolis, including Chatterbox without issue.

Sacramento gay club bans MAGA gear

Q Saltlake Magazine 20 Mar 2025
Badlands, a well-known LGBTQ+ nightclub in Midtown Sacramento, implemented a new policy banning MAGA-related attire following an incident that sparked mixed reactions within the community ...I’ve never worn a red Trump hat to the gay bars before ... Share.

MI6 has never had a woman as spy chief. That could be about to change

The Los Angeles Times 20 Mar 2025
Real-life spies say their world is nothing like that of James Bond, but in one way truth may soon follow fiction. MI6 could be about to get its first woman leader ... Gay people were barred from working for the agency until 1991 ... .

Warren man sentenced for defacing Black Roseville church

Detroit news 20 Mar 2025
In December, an Owosso man pleaded guilty in federal court in Flint to attempting to kill multiple people at a political party headquarters in Michigan and a nearby bar because he associated both places with gay people ... In November, a St.

Lonely Planet publishes first ever guide for queer holiday-makers

RTE 19 Mar 2025
The LGBTQ+ scene is rapidly reshaping some of the world’s major cities – yet finding gay-friendly hangouts can be frustratingly tricky for travellers ... One Park is another good one – it’s a bar, gallery, restaurant, and record store.

Penis-inscribed tables and parking meter chairs: the lost queer genius of House of Beauty and Culture

AOL 19 Mar 2025
HOBAC and Jarman are influences on my novel, but so too are illegal raves and lawless gay bars, the ecosystems of which to me are the result of creative acts ... A gay bar is more than just booze and a backroom.

Badlands nightclub in Midtown Sacramento bans MAGA-related attire

Lodi News Sentinel 19 Mar 2025
"I've never worn a red Trump hat to the gay bars before. I said, What the heck? Let's see what happens." ....

Movie Review: Even 2 De Niros aren’t quite enough to make ‘Alto Knights’ a successor ...

Hindustan Times 19 Mar 2025
“The best actor in the world! Better than Clark Gable!”. Movie Review ... And we all chuckle. They probably all chuckled on set, too ... Genovese’s wife Anna is a businesswoman — she owns a gay bar — whose fiery union with Vito turns disastrous ... 120 minutes.

Movie Review: Even 2 De Niros aren’t quite enough to make ‘Alto Knights’ a successor to ‘Goodfellas’

North Shore News 19 Mar 2025
“The best actor in the world! Better than Clark Gable!”. And we all chuckle ... Is it a gimmick? Surely ... Genovese’s wife Anna (Kathrine Narducci, excellent) is a businesswoman — she owns a gay bar — whose fiery union with Vito turns disastrous ... 120 minutes.

Movie Review: Even 2 De Niros aren't quite enough to make 'Alto Knights' a successor ...

Newsday 19 Mar 2025
“The best actor in the world! Better than Clark Gable!”. And we all chuckle ... Is it a gimmick? Surely ... Sign up ... AP ... Genovese’s wife Anna (Kathrine Narducci, excellent) is a businesswoman — she owns a gay bar — whose fiery union with Vito turns disastrous.

Video of Trump supporter being kicked out of Chatterbox Jazz Club goes viral. What we know

IndyStar 18 Mar 2025
The bartender again tells Hensley to get out and then pulls a baseball bat from behind the bar and taps it against the ground ... Hensley said she has frequented gay-friendly bars in the past throughout Indianapolis, including Chatterbox without issue.

MI6 has never had a woman spy chief. That might change now

Hindustan Times 18 Mar 2025
Real-life spies say their world is nothing like that of , but in one way truth may soon follow fiction. could be about to get its first woman leader ... Gay people were barred from working for the agency until 1991 ... ....

Town nightclub lawsuit against landlord dismissed in September

Washington Blade 18 Mar 2025
6, 2024. A document filed in D.C ... 1, 2020 “delivery date.” ... Court records show Judge Maurice A ... gay bars Trade and Number Nine, did not respond to a question asking if he and his partners plan to open Town 2.0 at another location ... ....

Iconic Sydney gay bars proposed for heritage listing

RNZ 17 Mar 2025
Three well-known Sydney gay bars are being put forward for heritage status in recognition of their contribution to the city's queer history ... In August 1978, the venue now known as Universal opened as a restaurant and gay disco, Tropicana.
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