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Post-Orlando Truth For You: Gay Bars Aren’t ‘Safe Spaces’

Myth Busting

Yes, gay bars can be a refuge. But there is also rejection, fear, shaming, and violence—aping the homophobia of the broader society.

articles/2016/06/18/post-orlando-truth-for-you-gay-bars-aren-t-safe-spaces/160617-mattson-gay-nightclub-tease_aebwjc
Directphoto Collection/Alamy

When I parked down the street from Detroit’s R&R Saloon for the first time, I sat in my car for a moment. I scanned the empty street looking for shadows in the dark storefronts or between two vans parked next to each other.

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