These new bars provide hope that more are on the way.
In 1980 , there were206 lesbian barsacross the country . In 2021 , that number dropped to just 15 .
At bewildering rates , consecrate nightlife spaces for rummy womxn and Lesbian have close their doors over the past few decades . exacerbate by the pandemic , this shift can be impute to a pack of element : from the gentrification of gayborhoods ( leading to an inability to pay up rent ) and give inequality to more nuanced realities within the LGBTQ+ residential district for gay and queer womxn such as imposed gender constructs and deficiency of societal toleration .
But not all is lost . In a year when the LGBTQ+ community is battling anti - drag and anti - trans laws across the nation , beacon fire of Leslie Townes Hope have appeared in the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe of novel lesbian bars . Half - way through 2023 , 28 lesbian bars are now in performance across the US .
Guests at The Bush lesbian bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn|Photo by Lanna Apisukh for Thrillist
If you ’re still a bit addle on what qualify as a lesbian bar , the peach of the answer lies in its fluidity . In the word ofThe Lesbian Bar Project , a fundraising organization / documentary serieswith a deputation to uplift and authorize the remaining sapphic bars in the United States , “ the label lesbian belong to all mass who feel that it empowers them . ” Lesbian bar create an inclusive place for “ multitude of marginalize genders include women ( regardless if they are curie or trans ) , non - binary folk , and trans man . ”
In New York and LA , a work party of new sapphic taproom have pop up that body forth this deputation statement while honoring the long , storied , and turbulent history of lesbian bar in these cities .
The Bush, NYC
For champion , cobalt - owners , and long - time New Yorkers Nikke Alleyne and Justine LaViolette , The Bush , now assailable in the Brooklyn neighborhood Bushwick , is a passion project seven year in the making . As a young girl in Jersey City , Alleyne often found herself give ear around the West Village lesbian bar Cubbyhole . “ But I ca n’t pinpoint a favorite [ lesbian legal profession ] , ” says Alleyne . “ They all made me feel so safe , so seen , and so happy to be a dike . ”
In 2016 , it became apparent to Alleyne and LaViolette that the city to a great extent lacked night life options that cater to their community . “ We pass a circumstances of metre run to parties at gay bars or uncoiled bars that were host a lesbian or queer - centered night , where we were the guests , ” say LaViolette . “ We wanted to create a space of our own where it ’s fundamentally a bar for the rum community that does n’t center around gay men . ”
participate The Bush . open up in April 2023 , the young watering hole separate itself from other lesbian bars through its pick of bespoke cocktails , which are get up by flavour profile . For example , a smoky and sour craving will run you to the Guest Star ( mezcal , passion fruit , aperol , lemon , Tajín ) , while a yen for something floral and boozy charge you in the direction of the Venus Fly Trap ( gin , leechee liqueur , ironical vermouth , Cocchi Americano ) .
The Bush in Bushwick, Brooklyn|Photo by Lanna Apisukh for Thrillist
“ We have intercourse the existing bars [ in NYC ] , but we wanted a post where we could go and have a cocktail , ” says LaViolette . “ At the time , none of the [ NYC ] distance had cocktail offering . We want and merit more option . ” When asked about what the duo hopes to see in the future tense for the lesbian bar community , they answered , “ We dream of a world where we can do a dike bar crawl in North Brooklyn alone . ”
The Ruby Fruit, LA
On the polar seashore , Los Angeles ’ cleaning lady - loving - woman community was similarly polish off heavily by quarantine , but sapphically fain spaces have always been tucked among the city ’s many community . Unlike West Hollywood ’s tightness of preponderantly snowy , brave clubs , the most popular sapphic events , likeDana ’s NightorLez Croix , tend to start between various locations . open in February 2023,The Ruby Fruitin Silver Lake break away this trend by offering a solar day and night location for lesbians , non - binary , sex - nonconforming and trans citizenry . At curtain raising , The Ruby Fruit was the first lasting sapphic bar in LA since 2017 .
possessor Mara Herbkersman and Emily Bielagus place out to create a homebase for those who try a womxn - run space , whether it be for tardy - night karaoke or a mid - day book club . “ This kind of community move me to tears on a daily basis , ” says Herbkersman . “ I ’ve been experience in LA for 20 eld and I ’ve always research for this and could never find it . ”
Herbkersman and Bielagus have also made it part of their missionary work to know the story of lesbian spaces in LA . While they may have been the only sapphic cake in the city at the clock time , they used their platform to hyperbolize all rum spaces . And they ’re not alone any longer . SinceThe Ruby Fruitopened , a novel lesbian watering hole and sofa , Honey ’s at Star Love , has raise the identification number of lesbian bars in LA to a mighty two .
The Bush in Bushwick, Brooklyn|Photo by Lanna Apisukh for Thrillist
Inside The Ruby Fruit there ’s ample outer space for groups celebrating birthdays and anniversaries , ambient corners for recently paired singles , and a legal community that welcomes solo reader . The bartenders have cursorily established a repertory with regulars who are greet as soon as they hit the doorway . Despite Silver Lake ’s popularity with tourists , The Ruby Fruit mostly attracts locals even on the busiest night . “ It honestly feels energizing to add up to work , ” says Bielagus . “ Everybody here is of the lesbian , queer , or lesbian identity and every time someone walks in the door , you could see the spirit of daze on their face . In a good way ! ” Even though The Ruby Fruit only opened a few months ago , it ’s already the place to play into old friends while making raw ones . “ There ’s a pile of tenseness involve with bunk a eating place and wine-coloured prevention , but the people who number here are just so grateful that there ’s a space for them , it do it all deserving it , ” persist in Bielagus .
The Ruby Fruit also feature an inclusive carte du jour with dejeuner and dinner party items for a stove of dietary confinement and budget . The restaurant ’s best seller is the Danish hot domestic dog – crispy Allium cepa aggregatum , remoulade and sweet-scented pickles make a more upscale experience than the LA or Chicago rendition , and it ’s a gravid pile in Silver Lake at $ 8 . Paired with the already - famous $ 20 Bucket - o - eminent Lifes ( that ’s a six - clique of High Life in a bucket ) , The Ruby Fruit makes for a fairly cheap night out .
Named for Rita Mae Brown ’s novel , Rubyfruit Jungle , a taradiddle about finding oneself as a young tribade , Herbkersman is excited to offer a place for the great unwashed who do n’t make out everything about themselves . “ They need an opportunity to pick up a petty morsel more about themselves , ” she says . The Ruby Fruit invites you to stay for as long as you need .
Cocktail at The Bush|Photo by Lanna Apisukh for Thrillist
In NYC and LA , there is finally hope . These pockets of inclusivity and freedom provide more than just a secure space to grab a drink , The Bush and The Ruby Fruit are emblematic of an root on resurgence for spaces catered specifically to the sapphic and queer womxn community .
Lesbian bars in NYC:
The Bush333 Troutman StBrooklyn , NY
Cubbyhole218 West 12th StreetNew York , NY
Ginger’s363 5th AveBrooklyn , NY
The Ruby Fruit lesbian bar in Silver Lake, Los Angeles|Photo by Josh Peters for Thrillist
Henrietta Hudson438 Hudson StreetNew York , NY
Lesbian bars in LA:
Honey ’s at Star Love1532 N. Western AvenueLos Angeles , CA
The Ruby Fruit3510 Sunset BlvdLos Angeles , CA
Miller Low Life at The Ruby Fruit|Photo by Josh Peters for Thrillist
