Behind the Scenes with the Lesbian Bar Project
Serving a call to action to our LGBTQ community to save our remaining lesbian bars across the U.S, we’re stoked to introduce you to The Lesbian Bar Project! While interviewing The Lesbian Bar Project’s film director, Erica Rose, it’s apparent she channeled her dedication and passion for the LGBTQ community into fighting for this cause.
How empowering was it to direct The Lesbian Bar Project?
It was pretty fucking empowering. It was awesome. I mean, so I started it with my buddy Elina. We’re good friends; we directed it together and we created it together. It’s been a wild ride, and I mean, it’s been incredible to support the spaces that helped me come into my own and help me become my authentic self, and you know, I want to do everything in my power to make sure these spaces not only survive but thrive.
How did you get involved with The Lesbian Bar Project?
So, when the pandemic hit New York City in March of 2020, the film industry shut down. I had time to reflect on the importance of gathering spaces, Elina and I were on the phone and a couple weeks into the pandemic we were talking about the last time we were able to see each other in person. Which was at Ginger’s lesbian bar in Brooklyn. So this coincided with a lot of articles coming out about the disappearance of lesbian bars. Even before the pandemic hit there were roughly 16 left in the country.
I consider myself pretty emeshed in the queer community and I didn’t even know that the numbers were that bad. We feared with the threat of the pandemic it could bring the number down to zero. We knew we needed to do something and decided to use our skill sets as storytellers and as filmmakers to tell the world about the staggering statistic, and do something about it, so that launched the project. We started with a PSA, and we asked Lea DeLaria if she wanted to be involved and she was like, ‘Yes,’ because she’s the Empress of the Lesbians and is always at Cubbyhole. She says it herself, she’s one of a few well known lesbians that still patronizes the lesbian bars. So she is our executive producer narrator, and we partnered with Jagermeister. They had an initiative called hashtag save the night which was launched during the pandemic, to support nightlife communities and spaces that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and it was a really natural serendipitous fit.
We launched our PSA in October of 2020, and we did a 28-day fundraising campaign and raised over $117,000 for the bars. We decided that it was enough, and we wanted to continue telling the stories of the bars. This time the PSA was really effective in communicating the stats and the fact that our spaces are under threat, but we wanted to do something that really personalized and humanized this staggering statistic and to tell the stories of the people behind the bars.
Do you have any Lesbian Bars that you wish would reopen?
Yeah I mean Gingers, they haven’t shuttered their doors forever; they’re going to reopen, but Brooklyn is rooting for Gingers. Brooklyn loves Gingers, and Gingers loves Brooklyn. We’re really rooting for that bar. We love that bar. I spent most of my 20s in that bar.
Bars tend to be male-centric; how do you think these bars are different in creating an intersectional experience?
Yeah, so part of our mission statement is that, we believe lesbian bars are not just spaces for lesbian and cis-identified women; its a space for all marginalized genders within the queer community, and that includes all women cis or trans, non-binary people, and trans men.
What do you believe is the most effective way for the queer/transgender community to help out this cause?
Show up for your bars. We literally say at the end of the doc: “SHOW UP.” I think after the pandemic, people are fucking exhausted being behind a Zoom camera. People don’t want to be behind their computers; they want to live, and they want to experience things. I always look back to my 20s; it’s always about being out in the world and experiencing spaces and experiencing people in person. Twenty-twenty was such a blur having your 18-hour-a-day Zoom meetings blend together. It’s important we remember the tangible, physical world, because it’s crucial for personal development and crucial for community development.
What does it mean for you specifically that these remaining bars survive?
I always say that Cubbyhole knew I was gay before I did; it was, like, 10 years ago, and it was such a mind blowing experience, not only because I was like, ‘Oh my god really, what do I do with myself?’ It was mostly because I had never seen a tangible expression of fairness and for women together and for friendship, and it was so exciting to me. Much of my queer media representation was, like, a Lisa Cholodenko movie here and there, but I just didn’t have anyone in real life who was living a queer lifestyle. Going into Cubbyhole, I was like, ‘Oh, when I finally get the guts to come out, I’ll have a home to go to,’ and I did. Cubby was so kind to me, and it felt like home. It was the first place I actually felt desirable, and that was really important and empowering to be my authentic self.
Which of the 21 remaining lesbian bars’ backgrounds/history do you resonate with the most?
I mean, I really love all of them for different reasons. I think that I’ve personally spent the most time at Gingers and Cubbyhole in New York. But I’ve grown really close to Lisa Cannistraci, the owner of Henrietta Hudson, and just had such a soft spot for her. I became really close with Rachel and Sheila Smallman of Herz, and they’re also featured in the documentary, and they are based in Mobile, AL, so when you think of Alabama, you don’t necessarily think of lesbian bar, but they’re fucking ballers; they’re amazing, and they’re definitely going to be, like, the sob story of the film, not necessarily because they’re victims, but because its just so heartfelt, and it’s just really beautiful.
How can people interested in learning about The Lesbian Bar Project see the film?
It’s going to be on our website, lesbianbarproject.com starting June 3, and we’re also relaunching our pool fund as well from June 3 until July 1, So, spread the word; get people to donate and get people to watch the film and share on social media. Our goal for the month of pride is to raise over $200,000 for the remaining bars. They should also follow @LesbianBarProject on Instagram.
Support badass women supporting badass women and donate to this awesomely queer cause.
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