Rachel Karp is a writer and producer who has worked across podcasts, TV, film, theater, and digital media. The co-creator and producer of the award-winning documentary podcast Cruising, she currently serves as an associate producer on LinkedIn’s editorial team, working on the podcasts Hello Monday and Building One. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theater and English from Skidmore College. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner Jen, in their home which has lovingly been dubbed “the home for wayward gays” by the multitude of queer friends and family members who have stayed there over the years.

Preface

PART ONE: THE NORTHEAST—LESBIAN BARS ARE NEIGHBORHOOD BARS

CHAPTER ONE
Eve’s Hangout—The First Lesbian Bar? (New York, NY)

CHAPTER TWO
Henrietta Hudson—Lesbian Bars Are Evolving (New York, NY)

CHAPTER THREE
Cubbyhole—In Times of Crisis Where Do You Go? (New York, NY)

CHAPTER FOUR
Ginger’s—Where Everybody Knows Ruthie’s Name (Brooklyn, NY)

CHAPTER FIVE
The Bush—A New Dyke Bar in Town (Brooklyn, NY)

CHAPTER SIX
A League of Her Own and As You Are—Survival Ready (Washington, DC)

PART TWO: THE MIDWEST—BE NICE OR LEAVE

CHAPTER SEVEN
Lost & Found and Executive Sweet—A History of Respect and Resistance (Chicago, IL)

CHAPTER EIGHT
Nobody’s Darling—For the Outcasts (Chicago, IL)

CHAPTER NINE
Dorothy—Where Any Friend of Dorothy Is Welcome (Chicago, IL)

CHAPTER TEN
Slammers—A Family Affair (Columbus, OH)

CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Back Door—Consent Is Fucking Mandatory! (Bloomington, IN)

CHAPTER TWELVE
Walker’s Pint—Be Nice or Leave (Milwaukee, WI)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Blush & Blu—The Myth of the Last Lesbian Bar (Denver, CO)

PART THREE: THE GREAT QUEER PILGRIMAGE WEST

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Mona’s—Where Girls Will Be Boys (San Francisco, CA)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Maud’s—The Best of Times, the Worst of Times (San Francisco, CA)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Wild Side West—When Life Gives You Garbage, Plant a Garden (San Francisco, CA)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Gossip Grill—Welcome Home (San Diego, CA)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Redz—Shit Come, Shit Go, I’m Gonna Be Myself (Los Angeles, CA)

CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Wildrose—The Heart of the Hill (Seattle, WA)

CHAPTER TWENTY
The Sports Bra—Everyone Watches Women’s Sports (Portland, OR)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Doc Marie’s—We Fight Because We Care (Portland, OR)

PART FOUR: THE SOUTH—WE KEEP US SAFE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Alice Brady’s and Charlene’s—Lesbian Bars Are Political (New Orleans, LA)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Les Pierres—The Home They Built (New Orleans, LA)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Boycott Bar—Lesbians Against Drunk Driving (Phoenix, AZ)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
YBR Pub—From Ally-Run to Queer-Run (Tulsa, OK)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Alibi’s and Frankie’s—Out and Proud in OKC (Oklahoma City, OK)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Pearl Bar—Becoming Human (Houston, TX)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Sue Ellen’s—A Queer Bar Empire (Dallas, TX)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Herz—How to Make an Unlikely Ally (Mobile, AL)

CHAPTER THIRTY
My Sister’s Room—When Your Health Insurance Fails, Your Lesbian Bar Shows Up (Atlanta, GA)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The Lipstick Lounge—Take Me to Church (Nashville, TN)

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Babe’s of Carytown—The Tale of Two Vickies (Richmond, VA)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Hershee Bar—A Thirty-Five-Year Fight for Queer Space (Norfolk, VA)

PART FIVE: MASSACHUSETTS—COMING HOME

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Femme Bar—For Dianté (Worcester, MA)

CONCLUSION

Acknowledgments
Notes
Index