The State of Ohio’s unemployment rate hit a record high of more than 17% in April, with the service industry bearing the brunt of the losses as bars and indoor dining have been shut down or running at limited capacity since March 15.
COVID-19, however, has put many of these spaces at risk. Ohio has come a long way, but we’ve still got a long way to go.Ĭlearly we still need these sanctuary spaces. For example, aside from a handful of municipalities and counties, it’s still very much legal to discriminate against sexuality in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Aside from a few neighborhoods in some of the larger Ohio–Highland Square in Akron, or the Short North in Columbus–the rest of the state is simply not as accepting. Rooms where we could dance with abandon, look the way we wanted, be with who we wanted – all with the peace that comes with knowing that no one in the room wanted to kill you or deny your civil rights because of your sexual orientation or gender identity.Īlthough the United States has come a long way in the fight for gay rights, equality has not been achieved.
spaces we were free to be ourselves, away from prying, disapproving eyes – even if just for a night. Historically, gay bars have been our few “safe spaces”: Havens where we could go to avoid being gay-bashed. Gay bars have been important in LGBTQ+ history, even as many still debate their place in modern society.
