How Mississippi's oldest gay bar survived the COVID pandemic
ISABELLE TAFT, Sun Herald
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BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Last March, after Lynn Koval watched COVID-19 cases spread across the United States, she bought several thousand dollars worth of beer and liquor before closing the doors at Just Us Lounge, the oldest gay bar still operating in Mississippi.
The little storefront on Division Street survived Hurricane Katrina. It weathered the BP oil spill. It hosted fundraisers for countless community members in need. And it’s been a place to find community and refuge in a conservative state.
Koval knew her bar would survive the pandemic, because she knew she couldn’t let it die. And so, as a veteran of South Mississippi nightlife, she thought practically and stocked up on supplies.