Some of the Best Gay Bars are No More


The 90s were a great time to ‘come out’. It was during this time that i first went to gay bars. These bars were an important part of community where I could feel like I was ‘normal’ and had no fear about how I acted. Although, I was not strictly ‘out’, I had found places that people, like me, gathered for meeting and socializing.

Dupont circle, in Washington, D.C., was a quintessential gayborhood during this time. During this time, if you went to Dupont Circle, you were gay. If you were seen in Dupont Circle, you were assumed to be gay. So when I went, i was frequently worried that I would be seen by people who didn’t know I was gay. I would walk past a bar’s entrance and walk around the block before actually getting the nerve to go in.

In 2000, I moved to San Diego where I was a new person. No one knew me, so I didn’t have to come out. I just ‘was’. I lived in Hillcrest, San Diego’s quintessential gayborhood.

But all this reminiscing of me coming out and how I felt is for another media (maybe write a book lol). My purpose here is to list all the bars that were part of my experience that may still exist, but many do not. I would love to hear anyone else’s memories of these places (or other places) as they were so important to me as I was figuring out who I was.

So without further ado:

Washington, D.C. – P Street

Mr. P’s (closed) – Washington, DC’s first ever gay bar. Located on P St. It had a cozy outdoor patio in the back. When people started to move to P St. , the complained about the noise from this bar (they moved, literally right next to it). I am not sure if it closed for this reason or not, but for some reason I remember this being the reason

The Fireplace (open) – Located on P St. a few storefronts down from Mr. P’s. Two floors, friendly people – Predominantly a black gay bar but everyone was/is welcome. The bartendress, Mama Judy, was a mainstay and you could always see her behind the bar. great neighborhood bar.

Badlands (closed) – Dance bar located in front of the Fireplace. Large dancefloor and back bar. This bar changed to another bar, Apex, then yet another bar, a lesbian bar called Phase One. It is a drugstore now.

Omega (closed) – I believe this bar was “Rascals” previously, but it was Omega by the time I discovered it. Cool carriage house bar located in a back alley (get your minds out of the gutter, not a seedy alley) behind Badlands. Two different bars on the ground floor (which also had porn playing in the floor (before flat screen TVs!) and video games and pool table. Upstairs another bar with a viewing area and dark area which had a sign “please keep your hands to yourself” or something like that! There use to be a parking lot that was close by, but now there is a Residence Inn.

P Street Beach (closed?) – an area across the street from Badlands on 22nd and P street where many people met to ‘get to know each other better’. Remember, this was at a time when it was unacceptable being gay and people had few options on where to go for encounters. During the day the area is used by the general public for dog walking and sun ray catching.

Escandalo (closed) – small bar on the second floor on P St. , next to the alley leading to Omega. One of the Latino bars that existed in Dupont area.

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