“We open the Sunday of Pride Week at 7:30 a.m.,” explained Rich Illgen, owner of the bar. While unassuming and small, R&R Bar proudly serves the LGBTQ community and is going to be participating in Pride again this year. Nestled snugly on Colfax, R&R Bar was a cozy and becoming hole-in-the-wall before dive bars and the grimy charm of Colfax were hip. With its mythical two-step lessons early in the evening, go-go boys, cheap sloshy beer, and an entire room for its frequent drag shows, this staple of the Denver gay scene has something for everyone.ĭenver’s oldest gay bar, R&R Bar is a Denver staple. Just a few blocks down on Colfax sits one of Denver’s most popular dance bars, Charlie’s. People flock to the bar to dance and get down or just to drink and relax, and many in the LGBTQ community have made it their regular hangout. The bar boasts nightly specials and drink deals, as well as two dance floors for the weekends and a large patio section. We have a very special float this year, so we are looking forward to the parade on June 18.” “We also give them away and have the biggest pink flamingo around on our float. “X Bar is well known for the pink flamingos during pride, and they are everywhere,” explained Cindy Alix, general manager at X Bar. Known for its inclusivity towards both the queer and straight communities, X Bar has been around for seven years and has been an important staple of Denver for just as long. “And we have to just remember that and see the light and rise up and not get in a dark place.X Bar is a staple for Denver LGBTQ folks. “The community’s fought before it’ll fight again,” Squatriglia said. In a recent interview with The Advocate, Jacqui Squatrigilia, the co-owner of Flaming Saddles, which shuttered its West Hollywood location last year, pointed to the LGBTQ+ community's resilience in hoping for a brighter next chapter. A promotion for the new venue promises it will be "the biggest gay nightclub in the USA." The openings follow the news of gay N'SYNC alumnus Lance Bass signing the lease of the building that once housed Rage, one of the many gay bars that shuttered in West Hollywood this past year. Tight End will be the first major gay sports bar in Denver, and it plans to partner with LGBTQ+ sporting leagues for events. It is owned by Steven Alix, who is also the proprietor of X Bar, another gay haunt in the Colorado capital. That, along with the White Horse Inn and Port Bar, will raise the city's number of LGBTQ+ bars to four.Ī few states eastward, Tight End has opened in Denver, reports The Know. Another bar and lounge, Town, is set to open soon in Oakland as well. Qué Rico is not the only sign of new life. The venue is already hosting a popular drag show. In Oakland, Calif., Qué Rico, a nightclub and restaurant, was launched earlier this month it is the first of its kind to open in the Bay Area in years, reports S.F. The loss was felt acutely by LGBTQ+ folks, who often relied on these venues for safe spaces and connection, sometimes over the span of decades.Įven before the pandemic, the decline of gay bars was a sad trend 37 percent of these establishments shuttered between 20 in the United States, according to one study.Īs COVID-19 restrictions ease, however, some new LGBTQ+ establishments have opened, offering signs of hope to a struggling industry and community. Like many small businesses, gay bars were hard-hit by the pandemic, which forced the closure of most indoor watering holes across the country. Spring has sprung - and so have a few new gay bars.