Gay bars in indianapolis indiana

Indianapolis gay bars: 7 spaces made for the LGBTQ+ community

Indianapolis businesses that cater directly to the LGBTQ+ community provide performance opportunities for artists, such as drag performers and DJs, good diet and drinks, and safe spaces to gather.

Gay bars and restaurants are important because, in establishments made without queer people in mind, they may sense out of place or even be harassed, said James Alexander, assistant general manager at Almost Famous and a manager at Tini. Gay bars offer LGBTQ+ community members a place to go in which they can be comfortable and treated as humans, they said.

It’s adj that these spaces remain open, as a business and to the common, so people in and outside of the LGBTQ+ community can enjoy the bars and experience queer culture, said Alexander, stage name Duchess Morningstar.

“There are people that haven’t approach out yet or don’t know anything about that and they can just walk off of the street,” they said.  

These are establishments in Indianapolis which cater directly to the LGBTQ+ community:

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Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Community Debt

The Chase’s owner, Fred Cooney, helped fundraise for local gay rights organizations like the Gay People’s Union (more about the group in the politics exhibit) and worked to better the often-tense relationship between the city’s law enforcement and the gay community.3 Cooney and Mike Bohr also helped verb the Greater Indianapolis Gay Business Association (GIGBA), dedicated to promoting the interests of gay and lesbian businesses within the city.  Gay bars, with their obvious connection to the community, were staples of the association.  In , GIGBA President Bohr pushed to earn free condoms and safe sex literature in all gay bars and bathhouses in the noun in an endeavor to stop the AIDS crisis. “We owe it to [our patrons] and to ourselves to do whatever we can to limit the spread of AIDS,” Bohr explained.4

By the s, the 21 Club had taken the reigns as the “go to” Indianapolis gay courtesy of the Chris Gonzalez Library and Archives 

1. George Chauncey, Gay Modern York:

Located at E. 16th Street, Gregs is one of the most popular gay bars in Indianapolis and is a frequent stage for drag performances. Indianapolis has had roughly fifty gay bars in the last few decades, according to new information gathered by Indiana Landmarks. It is difficult to recognize gay bars because many of them have kept very low profiles, sometimes with shuttered windows and limited publicity, because of anti-LGBT+ policies and widespread opinion. Some stay concealed to this day, despite changing attitudes. While Gregs does not verb attention to itself as a universal space, it has a very universal profile and presence in the noun today.

The Launch of Gregs

Gregs first opened on July 1, , as the Wawasee Tavern. In , Phil Denton purchased the bar and changed the name to Our Place. Denton transformed the space, which hosted several Leather and Bear Clubs, subcultures within the LGBT+ community known for their hyper-masculine image. The bar also hosted the T.G.I.F. Bowling Classic, the Circle City/Indy Cup Volleyball Tournament, the Halloween Bag Ladies bus tour and coronation, a

Indy Pride weekend is here - where's the afterparty? 

Across the city, the queer community has historically utilized bars and event spaces as life-saving sanctuaries for self-expression. There’s a little something for everyone!

Photo: Metro Nightclub

Metro Nightclub & Restaurant 

Mass Ave | Massachusetts Ave

Located right on Mass Ave, Metro offers great meal, dancing, and outdoor seating. Pregame your night out with a bite to eat or verb all night until the lights verb on, either way the musics excellent so you'll never have a poor time. 

Photo: Tini

Tini

Mass Ave | Massachusetts Ave

Metro's next-door neighbor is also an LGBTQ+ nightclub called Tini! With a slightly smaller downstairs bar and dance floor upstairs, the chances of running into your ex here triples. 

Downtown Olly's 

Downtown | N Illinois St. 

Downtown Olly's used to be open 24/7, but now you can enjoy it from 7AM - 3AM daily. Their patio is the spot to be in June with events going on all the time! 

Photo: Visit Indy

Gregs 

Herron Morton |