Honorable Mention – #ILoveGay Views: LGBTQ+ Bars – Our Safe Spaces Adapting to a Post-COVID world (USA)

Title: #ILoveGay Views: LGBTQ+ Bars – Our Safe Spaces Adapting to a Post-COVID world
Runtime: 15 min
Country: USA
Director: Matt Skallerud
Placement: Honorable Mention
Competition: September, 2022

Synopsis: Join us as we dive into this ever-evolving story of LGBTQ+ bars around the US and around the world fighting for survival during this past year’s pandemic, quarantine and subsequent shutdowns and closures. We meet the owners of Stonewall Inn, Alibi Lounge and Julius’ Bar, all in NYC, where they share with us some of their stories as to how they’ve adapted to keep their businesses afloat long enough to make it to this current opening up we’re experiencing across the country.

In addition, we explore the financial assistance programs organizations such as GoFundMe, Jagermeister and the Gill Foundation have developed, just to name a few. They’ve teamed up with organizations such as the Lesbian Bar Project with their #SaveTheNight campaign and Q.Digital/GayCities with their #SaveOurSpaces, helping iconic bars across the country including Julius’ Bar NYC, Stonewall Inn and more.

Finally, we fast forward a few months, as life begins to open up across the country and hope takes hold that life for LGBTQ+ bars across the country can come back to some version of normalcy soon.