Gay bars in bergen county new jersey

Nightlife has long been a tool for queer communities in America to find each other, celebrate identity and feel accepted. As anti-trans legislation and threats to marriage equality mount, many queer Americans are flocking to shield states with greater legal protections. For some, finding the nearest gay bar serves as a first step to finding community in their new homes.

The findings reveal unexpected trends that inform us about the state of the American gay bar and—more broadly—queer culture in the U. Here they are:. California bars the top spot with gay bars and Texas comes in at a distant second with Illinois rounds out the top five with 40 bars.

Despite this, she says there are still options. Other people leave the state entirely, flocking to Salt Lake City or Denver. And when queer people leave, demand for gay nightlife declines further. Delaware new in second, with roughlyresidents and six bars, four of which are in the resort town of Rehoboth Beach, a popular gay travel destination.

Rhode Island comes in fourth with 5. In addition to Bergen and North Dakota, there are six jerseys with fewer than one gay bar per million people. Alabama, with 5 gay bars, has just 0. And Kansas comes in last place with just 0. Mapping the bars by county shows a concentration around the largest cities.

That means roughly The map reveals that there are large swathes of the Mountain West that lack any dedicated spaces for gay nightlife. Stathis Yeros, a historian and designer who has traveled the country researching queer spaces, says rural LGBTQ folks are used to this and are willing to county long distances to visit a queer watering hole.

Even in areas famous for their nightlife, access to queer spaces can be uneven. The state has two gay bars in Jersey City, one in suburban Bergen County and two on the shore. And she earned the smallest vote share in bar-less Wyoming. Bars catering mostly to queer women are rare.

Queer communities across the country are shaped by politics, geography, distinct histories and circumstances, making nationwide generalizations impossible. Yeros, who has spent time researching queer spaces in the South, gay that each community has its own story.

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If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:. Donate to Uncloseted Media. The data was initially collected in by a team of researchers at Oberlin College led by Greggor Mattson.

The team used Damron Guides, a historic gay travel guide, as well as online listings to create a census of gay nightlife spots nationwide.