Gay bars in minneapolis mn

In the Twin Cities and around the country, gay bars are dying. 

But—and listen us out here—maybe that’s not entirely a bad thing?

In his new guide Long Live Gay Nightlife: How the Closing of Lgbtq+ Bars Sparked a Revolution, sociologist Amin Ghaziani argues that the decline of the gay lock has been the start of a renaissance, ushering in an era of pop-up parties and dance nights that offer an trial that’s more evolving, more inclusive, and more interesting than the brick-and-mortar bars that predated them. Greggor Mattson, in his 2023 guide Who Needs Queer Bars?, makes a similar case, asking for whom these bars exist and exploring whether they’re actually disappearing so much as evolving.

In many communities, and the Twin Cities is certainly one of them, you can get a sense for what that evolution looks like. Minneapolis and St. Paul are home to an ever-changing underground network of queer customs and events; ad hoc dance parties and alternative club nights like The Klituation, GRRRL Scout, Daddy Issues, and Cyber City Disco are as reliably fun and, in many circles, as popular as the cities’ gay bars. You might not have a male lover bar on your street, but shadow a few Instag