The Blacksburg gay community deserves its own bar – Virginia Tech Collegiate Times
The Blacksburg gays deserve a bar. Frankly, it’s shocking that we don’t already have one, and with students recently celebrating Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about just how hard it is for gay people to find each other in this town.
There are dating apps, but they’ll only get you so far: It’s too easy to swipe past someone who maybe you should have messaged, and with only a fraction of the number of options as our heterosexual counterparts, 12 swipes later and you’ve run out of options. Factor in all the straight women “looking for friends” or couples “looking for a third” that gay women encounter, and it’s apparent dating apps won’t find you a valentine.
There is a gay dance club in Roanoke, but at almost an hour away it won’t be a hot spot for Virginia Tech students or Blacksburg locals on nights out. Blacksburg’s gay community should have a place they can stumble upon and still easily catch a safe ride home.
Some in the LGBTQ+ community feel uncomfortable in the bars we have now. With the possibility of extreme or dangerous reactions to any flirtation, a gay bar could also provide a more comfortable environment for those with this fear.
Rosa Williams, a lesbian sophomore majoring in packaging systems and design, isn’t a fan of dating apps.
“It’s not easy. It’s not fun,” Williams said. “It’d be really nice to be able to get dressed up and go somewhere where if I am getting hit on, it’s by people that could actually be potential partners.”
Williams’ thoughts are fueled by her enjoyment of the “Cruising” podcast, where two women travel to the last remaining lesbian bars in the country. It’s true: gay and lesbian bars are a dying breed.
And it’s a tragedy — not just because it makes it harder for me to find a valentine, but also because of the sense of queer community we’re losing. According to Williams, one of the draws of gay bars is the sense of togetherness that they foster.
“They have this tight knit community of people who show up, get food, hang out,” Williams said. “Outside of that assigned ‘we’re going to party’ (mentality), at this one bar, they have weekly ‘L Word’ screenings.”
Picture this: a bunch of queer women piling blankets and pillows on the dance floor, laying together and watching a show that is made for them.
“It’s a community fixture, as opposed to just a dance floor with gay people on it,” Williams said.
L Word screenings aren’t the only community builders gay bars and clubs put on. Drag shows are often a standard part of a gay bar’s offerings. Blacksburg residents have enjoyed drag shows at the Milk Parlor and even on Virginia Tech’s campus, so a gay bar providing another venue for talented local and student performers would almost certainly draw in a crowd.
Blacksburg needs a gay bar, so that maybe next year, everyone can find a valentine to spend the day with, but also so those who still haven’t found their valentine can find a community to hit the dance floor with — pillows and all.