After nearly two decades of decline, the number of bars and restaurants catering to members of the LGBTQIA+ community began ticking back up in the wake of the pandemic. Research from the National Institutes of Health indicates the number of these establishments nationwide grew by 10% from 2021 to 2023. This shift has occurred despite a challenging, sometimes dangerous landscape for queer communities in particular and an uncertain playing field for the broader economy and real estate industry. But for a community intimately familiar with carrying on in the face of difficult circumstances, keeping these spaces going — and even growing them — is worth the hard days. “Our queer spaces across the country are incredibly important,” said Danielle Spring, co-owner of Femme, a lesbian restaurant and bar in Worcester, Massachusetts, that welcomes everyone but places a specific focus on providing a haven for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. “I’m in my 40s, and when we were growing up, we didn't have safe spaces. We invite our patrons to come as they are, no matter how they identify,” Spring said. “We provide the space for them. Anyone who walks in the door, we embrace them.” The number of gay bars in the U.S. declined 41% from 2002 to 2019, according to the NIH. The last five years have brought a pandemic that shuttered establishments of all kinds, rapidly escalating prices and a wave of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation and sentiment in some of the most populous states… Read Full Story | 
