Dani’s Queer Bar opened its doors earlier this month to wide-spread enthusiasm from Boston’s queer community. Since its grand opening on Sept. 12, the line to get inside of the bar on weekend nights stretches for blocks down Boylston Street—its success could heavily impact the continued resurgence of lesbian-centered spaces back into the mainstream.
An estimated 200 lesbian bars existed in the United States in the 1980s. In 2021, The Lesbian Bar Project, a docu-series dedicated to keeping track of lesbian bars in the country, identified their near extinction: only 15 remained.
In response to nationwide advocacy and awareness, the number of lesbian bars has more than doubled since, and yet, only 35 of the nearly 63,000 bars in the United States today are lesbian bars. Joining them as the 35th is Dani’s.
Yeya Dunn and Shelby Vance were two of the patrons eager to enter on Saturday night.
“We were actually part of a group that came here really early on to transform it [into] what it is now,” Dunn said, explaining that before Dani’s, the space was a “towny dive bar.”
Inside the bar, artwork by local queer artists cover most of the pink walls, and lavender neon signs envelop the space in a hazy glow. Patrons of all ages, predominantly women, gather around tables deep in conversation, drink at the bar, and sit on the sofa space in the back lounge. Dim lights hang from the ceiling, adding to the bar’s relaxed ambiance.
Even the drink menu centers around lesbians. Cocktail names like “Dance with Somebody” pay tribute to queer icon Whitney Houston, while “Long Distance” and “Red Flag” poke fun at lesbian cliches. “Gay Beer” and “Dyke Saison” are offered in cans.
Stairs near the lounge area lead to a lower level. Here, a younger, rowdier crowd dances to popular current and throwback hits played by local DJs.
While some may see Dani’s as an average night life space, for the queer community it signifies the birthplace of a movement.
During the stonewall uprisings in June 1969, patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, resisted a violent police raid. This uprising is often credited for kicking off the gay rights movement. Today, gay pride is celebrated in June in commemoration of the event.
In the 1950s, bar culture was integral to lesbians, as bars were often the only space for them to gather as a community and offered a break from the pressures of conforming to heterosexual patriarchy. Here, lesbians created their own universe with identities, language, fashion, and art, forming a life-saving camaraderie. The rich culture born out of these places still impacts lesbian identity today.
Though much social and political progress has been made since then, this sentiment has never lost its relevance. In 2024, Emerson students rejoice at the potential of a new local lesbian bar as well.
“The lesbian experience can be quite isolating at times,” said sophomore journalism student Brooke Lelia. “A new lesbian bar opening up so close to Boston college culture is going to change a lot for the Boston queer folk. Lesbians exist—we are out there and we want a place to go just like everyone else.”
Sophomore visual media arts major Grace Atkin expressed similar sentiments.
“All of the spaces are for straight people … and then you have gay bars everywhere. It’s not fair, because where are the lesbians gonna go? Lesbians need a space,” said Atkin.
Kitten McMullen was another woman in line on Saturday night, visiting Boston from Cincinnati, Ohio.
“I’m a repeat offender,” she said laughing. “I just keep coming back. I found [Dani’s] the day after it opened. I came almost every day since then.”
To her, Dani’s already feels like a new queer historical space in the making.
“I feel like I’m a part of history,” McMullen said. “I feel like this is a monumental moment, like this is something that’s going to be documented. This is more than just a place to chill. It means something.”
A kindred energy of pure joy radiates from all the people waiting in line, making obvious that a space like Dani’s was long overdue.
“I was in line like, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’” McMullen said. As she spoke she took in the diverse crowd with delight. “I swear this is so dope. I got pictures of the line going all the way down and around to the next corner … I just think they’re doing something amazing. This place could blow up!”
