Pugh said a Black LGTBQ bar in the city would be a "total dream."ĭespite cultural changes within the community, some Slammers customers like Dani Escamilla still see a need for lesbian-designated bars. News: Outdoor dining season is here in Columbus. “It’s not that we can meet everybody’s need, but we do have a voice here and it was missing in the community.”
“The Black LGBTQ community needed a voice," said co-founder and treasurer Letha Pugh, 49. Community Pride was established by the Black Queer & Intersectional Collective in direct opposition to the Stonewall Pride festivities.Īdditionally, the Black, Out, & Proud (BOP) organization was established to center the Black LGBTQ community, and provide advocacy, education and social events. Other events and spaces have been created to fill the void for some LGBTQ community members in recent years, particularly Black people, who have felt marginalized or excluded in the city. Other marginalized communities want representation in Columbus “That was everybody's Friday and Saturday for years.” “(It was), you come here, you drink, you eat and then you go down to Wall Street at 11 p.m. And I remember there were some issues where some women didn’t want men in here.”īack then, Slammers was a stopping point for women on their way to the Wall Street nightclub. “Gay men wanted to be with gay men, and gay women wanted to be with gay women. “We were separate but equal,” Gordon said. In the early 1990s, the LGBTQ community was less integrated, creating a bigger audience for lesbian bars. We’ve got this partnership going on.” 'Separate but equal': A history of LGBTQ bars A lot of them will come back to eat more and sober up. People will come here to eat first, have a drink or two, then go to the show. “(It) has helped us tremendously,” Gordon said. And the newly opened LGBTQ show bar and nightclub, District West, located behind Slammers, is bringing in new, mostly male, clientele. The bar’s pizza continues to be one of the biggest selling points. Today, staff members say Slammers is doing well, and in no danger of closing. A greater acceptance of the LGBTQ population, as well as cultural shifts within the community, are cited as contributing factors. The pandemic’s devastating effect on bars and restaurants has shed new light on the state of gay and lesbian bars, which have been shrinking in number for decades. Slammers in Columbus a 'safe haven' for patrons Operating Downtown on East Long Street since 1993, Slammers is the only surviving lesbian bar in Ohio, and one of just 15 left in the U.S., according to a report by Greggor Mattson, associate professor of sociology at Oberlin College and Conservatory. News: Central Ohio cities embrace designated outdoor drinking areas “I’m not exactly sure what happened with Liquid,” said Escamilla, 36, of Downtown. Ask around, and you’ll hear about Wall Street Downtown, Summit Station (now The Summit) in North Campus and Blazer’s Pub (now Two Truths) in the Short North.ĭani Escamilla especially liked Liquid Café and Lounge (now Standard Hall), also in the Short North.
Traces of the old scene in Columbus exist in the memories of people who were there. In Columbus, like many cities, lesbian-centered nightlife is a thing of the past.