And, for their part, the new owners of Grand Central are taking feedback from the Mt. Long known to many as a strictly leather bar, the Eagle is aiming for more inclusivity in its newest iteration, with a more diverse staff and event offerings. “When there are preconceived notions, certain segments don’t feel welcome.” “We need to make sure our spaces are not only safe, but also progressive,” adds Jennings. “It’s a different kind of feeling when you go into a space and can vogue down the hallway and not be looked at like you’re crazy,” Greene explains. “I’m not saying there’s no more gay-bashing, but certainly people are more decent now than they were.”Įven so, having a place that is 100-percent accepting is a priority for the community. “It’s taken a lot of years to feel more comfortable,” Davis says. “We now need investors who are also interested in supporting the black and brown LGBTQ community.”Īnother theory for the closings is that bars in general have arguably become more accepting. “Most of the owners of these businesses were older, white gay men that entered into their golden years,” says Shelese Greene of the Pride Center of Maryland. and gay patrons, with things like drag shows and drag queen bingo. Making sure there is a seat for everyone at the table-whether that’s the clientele or the business owners themselves-is an important part of keeping the inclusive scene alive here in Baltimore. Successfully finding a gay club in an unfamiliar city can be trying, especially in. The way a space feels safe for us now is different from when I was in my 20s.” “Our community was able to get married and start a family, and the necessity to go out and meet people just wasn’t there,” says Chris Jennings, who runs events and marketing for the newly reopened Baltimore Eagle. “Once people started meeting online, we lost a lot of business.”īeyond matchmaking websites and LGBTQ-friendly dating apps, the movement to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015 also played a part in curtailing gay-bar business. “Years ago, gay bars were safe zones when gays were in fear of being beat up,” says Don Davis, who owned Grand Central for nearly 30 years until new owners took over earlier this year. With gay bars closing in Baltimore, it brings up the inevitable questions: Can we explain this? Are these spaces still necessary? And what comes next? Across the street, where Club Hippo once hosted epic bingo nights, show tunes karaoke, and hip-hop parties, is now the standard bat signal of gentrification-a CVS. Sure, rainbow flags still fly outside of Grand Central Club, but it’s on borrowed time. Travel from country, west, north, uptown, downtown, east, midtown, central, city, or south - driving directions from your address to the location of the new Baltimore, Maryland gay watering hole.ĭepending on your device, get turn by turn driving directions from Google, Apple, Waze.The corner of North Charles and Eager streets just ain’t what it used to be.
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