For more than 35 years, West Hollywood has been a Mecca for queer-owned businesses, housing dozens of gay bars and clubs along Santa Monica Boulevard.
The past nine months, though, have seen the future of these businesses jeopardized, as they have been hit especially hard by the pandemic shutdown, with Silver Lake's Akbar recently launching a GoFundMe drive in order to secure its future.
Four popular gay bars have permanently closed in West Hollywood since March: Flaming Saddles, Gold Coast, Rage and Gym Bar. Flaming Saddles owner Jacqui Squatriglia, who announced the closure of the country western bar Aug.
16, opted to keep her bar shuttered even during the brief period in June when L.A. County allowed bars to reopen because “the virus was.