New York s gay bars are still vital, especially post-COVID, owners say | Pride and Pandemic
Recovery of gay bars [Pride and Pandemic]
The pandemic devastated New York s bars and restaurants. Many have shuttered permanently. But the owners of so-called gay bars are fighting back and looking to be as important and vital as ever as the pandemic eases.
NEW YORK - For many, a place colloquially known as a gay bar was the only place you could go where you weren t compelled to lie about who you were. The gay community had nowhere else to meet publicly, said Ken Lustbader, the co-founder of