What's the name of the first gay bar you ever visited - and where was it?

[AirmaxUK]

8 hours ago, SpectreAgent said:

Brief Encounter, in St.Martin’s Lane, London. It was a notorious pickup joint, although in my naïveté I was unaware just how notorious. A very famous actor once tried to pick me up there, but I went instead with a security guard from the nearby South African embassy. And that really wasn’t a gun in his pocket… 

My memory of Brief Encounter (Probably 1997 ish) was the cute rent boys in the basement and the somewhat older guys chasing them.  I got picked up by a guy in a 1970s shiny tan leather jacket who wanted to take me to the theatre before taking me home.  We saw 'My Night With George' which was about the AIDS crisis. I got creeped out by the guy and didn't go home with him afterwards. 

My London bar of choice was 79CXR back then. 

[badubydo]

Never been to one and honestly, probably never will

[Eastvillagefun]

Keller Bar in NYC. West Side Highway. I was 16

[jeff238]

Seattle, capital Hill. Neighbors, then later our place. I was just 40. Neighbors was full of cute boys. Not a welcoming place for "old" guys. Our place was more low key. Picked up a 20 something, he was drunk af.

Im not much of a bar guy, but the first time at a baths (club seattle, now steam) i was like a kid in a candy store.

[bbpigbtm]

1270 boston , near fenway park, had four floors- bar basement- punk floor/ disco floor& roof deck/ with kitchen

[Leather-lee]

On 1/12/2026 at 12:53 AM, BlindRawFucker1 said:

I think it was called Angles, in Las Vegas.

 

When the cab driver dropped me off, he asked, “You do know that this is a gay bar?”

 

When I told him I knew, he said, “I just wanted to make sure.  Have fun and be safe.”

 

That was very nice of him to make sure that I did know.

Maybe he was gay/bi himself?

[Leather-lee]

10 hours ago, badubydo said:

Never been to one and honestly, probably never will

Why not?

[Leather-lee]

On 1/13/2026 at 8:23 AM, versmetropig said:

When I was 17, my older brother and his girlfriend used to take me to Studio 54 - this would be the very end of 1979 into 1980 - I was a senior in H.S. and the drinking age at the time was 18, but they never had a problem getting me in there. After a few hours of dancing, my brother and his GF would head to "Plato's Retreat" a STRAIGHT sex club and bathhouse, while I would head to the Ansonia Baths or one of the gay porn theaters like the Adonis or the David and fuck around then we'd all meet up at 5 or 6AM and head home. I went to Fordham University in September of '80 and turned 18 in November. By that time, I was going to The Anvil, The Spike, and The Eagle (seriously) and during breaks home in Nyack I would go to the two gay bars there which were called Reflections and Candlelight.

Funny, I never got to Uncle Charlie's or the Monster or Ty's any of the milder NYC bars until I was 19 or 20!

You have a very cool brother!

[versmetropig]

13 hours ago, LiamHudsonXXX said:

Unofficial gay bar was in Haverstraw, NY where a gay biker group would meet up.  I was a summer camp counselor at the time,  Sumer of 82 probably.  And the bar tender had a special she called a fusty rose and they were really good.  I am sloshed, chatting it up with the biker guys, while making out with whatever girl was there…. One of the guys offers me a ride on his bike, some big thing, what do I know. Went over to the reservoir and he said let’s go for for a swim….  Strip down, skinny dipping and then we are making out, and before you know it he has fucked two loads into me.  Went back to the bar like nothing happened.   Felt amazing riding on the back of that big ass bike!  
First official one was Splash many years later.  

Damn man, you were hanging around Rockland County in '82 while I was too? And it took until last year before we met in person? What a waste of so many years! @LiamHudsonXXX

[hntnhole]

The Office, in Rockford IL.   Owned by a local cop (which probably allowed it to even be there). 

What a delightful dump  .... 

[Pozguyinchi]

17 minutes ago, hntnhole said:

The Office, in Rockford IL.   Owned by a local cop (which probably allowed it to even be there). 

What a delightful dump  .... 

I have been to the office many times. I was there a couple of years ago and went home with a couple that used my holes good. 

[hntnhole]

Two questions: 

Was that blue '49 Willys still parked in that diner's parking lot on the corner ??? 

One more:  Living in Chicago, were you from R originally? 

I can't think of any other reason for a Chicagoan to visit The Office 🤔

[PrisonbaiT]

My first gaybar was called "Strange" it was one of the first gay bars in Antwerp, Belgium.  The bar did exist for more then 50 years with the same owners.   You had to ring the Bell to get entrance.   I came there from the age of 16 in the eighties.  In Belgium you where aloud tot enter a bar from 16.   Since then a lot has changed.   In the eighties there where nearly more then 50 gaybars in Antwerp.  Now only 3🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

[blackrobe]

I'm pretty sure my first was "Patches", an historic and long-gone gay bar in Sydney, NSW, Australia.

I was working in the young men's fashion department of a downtown department store and I was only just 18 (the legal drinking age) so it was 1981 and I was very much not clear I was gay and definitely not out. The manager of the department took all the staff out for drinks and I had no idea where we were going was a gay bar. I remember getting a bit drunk and feeling totally out of my depth. One of the guys I worked with was Greek, gay, and a very macho queer guy and he loved torturing me in my unsullied youth and innocence. I remember when he became one of the many handsome men who suddenly was gone.

I wonder what he'd make of me taking dick and loads so enthusiastically today.

[pupHawaii]

On 1/11/2026 at 4:10 PM, spunkdump said:

Sweet memories-- Uncle Charlie's in NYC  village neighborhood on Greenwich village.  That was so fun -back when NY was a magical place.  I think every NYU freshman went there for the first time -that and BoyBar in the East village on St Marks.

oh I remember Uncle Charlie's!   I lived in NYC for about 6 months and would go there - was a good, laid back place.   Was fun!