Dallas gay bars
It is merely evidence that Dallas is further embracing the diversity of its residents, and there is less need for the strict homo zoning of the past. Many fear that if these trends continue, the Dallas gay culture will become homogenized, and our traditions will be gentrified through hetero-mixing.īut the trend to venture out is far from an attempt to assimilate with our heterosexual neighbors. The popularity of queer bars, mixed with the more prominent app-based meeting forums, have led to smaller and smaller crowds on Cedar Springs. Now that we are safely past the days of strict homo/hetero sorting, the attraction of a mixed crowd has dramatically increased. This 3-D model has sufficed for the last several decades due to the fact that most gay men and women were rather uncomfortable when venturing off of Rainbow Street. Instead, we are left with three simple classifications: Dance, Drink or Dive. These places offer little in the way of interesting drink menus, trendy décor or signature style that appeals to the tastes of the individual in all of us.
But with the emergence of the queer bar, will the gay culture of Dallas inevitably suffer?ĭespite the country appeal of Round-Up, the sports-centric Woody’s and the subtle variations between the rest of The Strip, there are only modest differences between the ambiance and aesthetic of the gay bars on Cedar Springs. No longer confined to conventional gay establishments, homosexual men and women are adding a little gay to places that fit the rest of their personalities. These are just a few of the many bars around the city that Dallas’ gays are more and more frequently calling their own. The old school cafeteria tables add just the right amount of kitsch to this dive. This no-frills bar offers one hell of a pour, sans pretention, and is right next to the guilty pleasure of the Tin Room.
If you are looking for something a little more casual, the Windmill has been attracting gay bar defectors for years. This rooftop hotel bar offers 360-degree views of the Dallas skyline, expertly crafted cocktails and zero judgment. The South Side NYLO pool bar offers a chic and sophisticated option for anyone looking for some city ambiance with his or her spirits. With this hipster crowd, half of the fun is trying to guess which team the cute guy across the bar plays on. On any given weekend, you can find this bar’s dance floor mixed with gays, straights and in-betweens. With an eclectic and funky boutique, excellent music and a happy hour that offers a manicure with your martini, this is the perfect definition of a queer bar. With a name like Beauty Bar, this place has no choice but to be quite gay friendly. Queer bars offer an infusion of variety that is lacking in the traditional gay party scene. But for the gay audience, there is a particular appeal to the queer bar that the managers on Cedar Springs are finding harder to avoid. These places are just the right amount of trendy and casual so that both the heterosexual and homosexual crowds feel at ease. But these days, with the gay rights movement moving forward at record speed, the draw to our city’s homo hangouts are waning as the emergence of queer bars continues to flourish in the Dallas social scene.Ī queer bar isn’t a gay bar, but an alternative bar that creates an environment that’s open to all types of people. Everyone past the age of 25 has a story of when they first ventured to J.R.’s or Sue Ellen’s and the thrilling escapades that followed. The area has become hallowed ground for all of the city’s gay men and women to flock to for a safe place to be themselves and meet others looking for friendship, love or just a good time. With a rich history of community, frivolity and cheap drinks, the businesses in the Dallas gay area have also prospered thanks to their dedicated patrons and, let’s be honest, an entirely captive audience. Affectionately known to many as the “gayborhood,” Cedar Springs is where the Dallas same-sex culture has thrived for years. As the gay culture goes, those of the pink persuasion have typically been confined to their designated pocket of the city.