GayCities, the LGBTQ travel website, has launched a new relief fund for LGBTQ restaurants and bars that have struggled to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Launched at the 2021 Queerties, the GayCities’ LGBTQ Nightlife Relief Fund on GoFundMe will distribute $500 matching grants to qualifying businesses. The grants will cover businesses expenses and provide financial help to employees. To be considered, venues must have been impacted negatively by the pandemic and have a new or pre-existing fundraiser that includes the hashtag #savequeervenues. Scott Gatz, CEO of the LGBTQ media company Q.Digital, spoke out on the importance of saving queer bars and restaurants. “This is not only about preserving historic LGBTQ venues, it’s about saving these spaces for future generations to come,” Gatz said. “For many, queer bars and clubs are the first safe space they found where they could meet people and find irreplaceable community. We need to step up to save these important venues.” In support of the relief fund, the queer dating app Grindr has donated considerable advertisement space to encourage donations from the LGBTQ community. So far, the fund has received more than 170 donations and raised more than half of its $50,000 goal.
In the GoFundMe description, GayCities emphasizes the importance of keeping LGBTQ spaces open during COVID. “Your local queer bar might be where a young person comes out for the first time. A drag show at the closest city’s nightclub is where newfound acceptance and confidence are born. Individuals cast away from their families of origin who are seeking love and connection have found solace and sanctuary in these venues.” GayCities goes on to stress the value of LGBTQ venues in social and political movements as well, stating how the spaces have long been places where queer people could safely meet and organize in the face of oppression and discrimination. To donate and read more about the fund, visit the GoFundMe page here.Image courtesy of the GayCities Facebook page.
