“Before different levels of government stepped up to help with HIV/AIDS and stuff, the community did it themselves. Protests, awareness campaigns and even San Diego’s first Pride were conceived in the dark and dusty corners of these clubs.ĭocumentary Producer: San Diego’s Gay Bar History Most importantly, they’ve served as the hubs of the gay rights movement dating back to the 1960s. Paul Detwiler produced the documentary "San Diego's Gay Bar History." He says that may be because LGBTQ folks depend on the bar scene for a lot more than just drinking.ĩ:49 “Gay bars are culturally different than straight bars because they’re sanctuaries, safe havens, for people that have typically experienced a lot of prejudice and discrimination growing up which is something that the straight population hasn’t experienced being the majority demographic. But overall, San Diego's LGBTQ establishments have shown remarkable resilience. The owners of Martinis Above Fourth, a lounge known for its specialty drinks and live performances, announced in October they were declaring bankruptcy.
Not all gay bars made it through last year’s guantlet. We will never forget the amazing memories we all made together, and we hope that you will not forget us.” “Although it is a hard blow to us and the entire MA4 family, it is nothing compared to the huge number of people that have lost their lives, health or someone that they love in this pandemic. Because I still didn’t know, none of us knew. I would come in, walk around the bar and go ‘oh god, I can’t do this and just walk out the door in tears. But she says there were moments when she considered closing for good. Santillan also received a PPP loan, and her landlords helped her work out a plan to stay open. She made them meals each day until they were on unemployment. While The Rail was closed she did some minor repairs, and made an effort to take care of the staff. It’s just bigger than most people can imagine. And losing Pride to anyone in this neighborhood business-wise is huge. “That to me was like the harder blow- not just COVID, it was losing Pride. That’s when the Rail’s owner, Gayle Santillan, thought the run might be over. The low point for some business owners came when 2020’s Pride was canceled. San Diego’s oldest gay bar has survived attacks from law enforcement, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and most recently, the COVID-19 lockdowns. It was mid-June - two days after California lifted it’s COVID restrictions and the crowd at The Rail was ready to celebrate after a long 16 months. KPBS’ Katy Stegall (STEE-gull) says these longstanding safe havens of the LGBTQ community are re-emerging after a year in which many feared they would go under. The San Diego Pride celebration is upon us this weekend, and Gay bars are back as California lifts covid-19 restrictions. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
We have also seen the doubling of the total rental assistance that is going out.”Īpplications for the program are online at housing-is-key-dot-com.įrom KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. “Since the signing of AB 832 we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of families that are applying for the state’s rental assistance program. Lourdes Castro Ramirez is California’s Secretary of Business, Consumer Services and Housing. He says it’s the largest in the nation, and will pay baclk 100% of what people owe, back to April of last year. Governor Gavin Newsom touted the state’s covid-19 rental relief program on Wednesday. According to police chief David Nisleit, the new strategies include assigning more personnel to violent crime teams, gathering more information from suspected problem areas, working with outside agencies, and using more investigative techniques for monitoring to locate and arrest wanted suspects. San Diego City Officials announced a new set of law enforcement strategies for curbing violent crime, and unregistered “ghost guns” on wednesday. They’re worried about the vaccine developments being rushed and they’re worried about what long term impact might be.” “They lack confidence in the safety of the vaccine. He says one in five have no intention of ever getting vaccinated. David Mets with F-M-3 research recently conducted a survey of San Degians’ views of the vaccine. let’s do the headlines….Ĭovid-19 cases are increasing in San Diego county, and public health officials say they’re worried about vaccine hesitancy.
Gay bars reopening amid San Diego’s pride week Good Morning, I’m Annica Colbert….it’s Thursday, July 15th