Note sull'episodio
What happens to queer nightlife when the bar is no longer just a place to drink, cruise, or hook up—but one of the places where we figure out how to be together?
In this episode of Our Dyke Histories, Jack Gieseking talks with Krista Burton, Greggor Mattson, and Theo Greene about lesbian bars, queer spaces, and the changing social life of the 2010s and 2020s. They begin with the supposed “death” of the lesbian bar and the revival that is still happening, The conversation moves through the Obama years and the Trump era, the Pulse nightclub and Club Q shootings, COVID lockdowns, and the ways political danger can make queer spaces feel newly necessary. They talk about mutual aid, the role bars played during crisis, and what happened when a generation came of age during lockdown without nightlife as part of its route into queer community. Then there are the apps; what happens when we forget how to make small talk? Krista talks about “lesbian bar etiquette,” including the famous art of leaning and staring. Greggor argues that bars work best when they cultivate community rather than simply provide a hookup space. Theo reminds us that dancing, music, and shared activity can be their own kind of icebreaker.
And of course, there’s drag bingo, viewing parties, karaoke, Olympic rugby, dildo races, lube wrestling, and the collective effervescence of watching something ridiculous together. Because queer nightlife isn't dead. We just have to remember how to talk to each other.
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Credits
Producer, Editor, Host, & Creative Director: Jack Gieseking
Co-Producer: Julie Enszer & Sinister Wisdom
Co-Producer & Co-Editor: Cade Waldo
Assistant Editor: Becca Moses & Sophie McClain
Social Media Manager: Audrey Wilkinson
Consulting Producer: Rachel Fagen
Music: Our theme song: "Like Honey" by Kit Orion https://www.kitorion.com/
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