Blush and Blu, the longstanding Denver lesbian bar, has closed its doors after 28 years. One of the last lesbian bars left in the US, the neighborhood bar was inviting and open and had that welcoming “Cheers” feeling.
Just last year, the tavern was nominated as one of the best lesbian bars in the world in the Best of GayCities contest.
Owner Jody Bouffard announced the bar’s closing in an emotional statement on social media.
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“When I moved to Denver in 1996, there were over 200 lesbian bars across the country, each a beacon of refuge, though not always safe. Many of us entered through the side door, our hearts guarded and steps careful,” she wrote. “Now, 28 years later, only 20 remain. The world has shifted, and so have we.”
“As we close this chapter, I hope you carry Blush and Blu in your hearts, in the memories we’ve shared, and in the community we’ve built together. Remember what we say [and] do, spread ripples outward, touching lives and hearts. Let your words be filled with love, your actions wrapped in compassion, and your intentions guided by wisdom. Together, we are stronger.”
In 2020, New York Filmmakers Erica Rose and Elina Street founded The Lesbian Bar Project, an initiative to spotlight and support America’s last lesbian bars.
“Even though there has been a lot of progressive change in our society, it’s still far from equitable,” Erica told GayCities. “Most social places aren’t designed for our needs to be catered to, so having a space where we are prioritized is empowering and liberating, and until we can have a fully equitable society, we need spaces like this. Even if we have an equitable society, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us as FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-Binary, Trans, Agender) people wanting a space with other FLINTA people.”
And running a FLINTA bar is tough. “[The owners] are not often actually asked how hard it is,” Elina points out, “and the best part of our job is we can ask those questions and get to know them so deeply.”
“Of course, there’s still going to be adversity, and there are unprecedented challenges ahead of us,” says Erica, “but the bars are just going to keep growing and evolving… growing with the times, growing with the community.
“FLINTA people are the best organizers and the best activists. We don’t want a world where these places don’t exist, and they’re going to keep showing up in new ways.”
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