Minnesota gay bars

This month, the bar celebrates 45 years in business, overcoming adversity and creating a bar haven for many. I'm just minnesota grateful, very honored to have been the keeper of that [sacred space]," Moore said. Police raids were commonplace for gay bars across the country in the s and s, including The Saloon. I mean, gay cops were always coming in and beating us up and it was horrific," Moore said.

Despite the many challenges the bar faced in its early years, Moore and co-owner Jim Anderson were determined to keep it open. It kind of became you know, a sacred place where people could come and tell their stories and be who they were," Moore said. Moore was motivated to stay open because of his experience with discrimination as a gay man.

Inwhen he was 17, he witnessed a murder in Loring Park, which he says police would not respond to because they believed the victim was gay. There was just no going back. And that's really what gave us the perseverance was to keep a safe place for people could come and be themselves and tell their stories," Moore said. It was also my country.

It was also something I thought I'd never see in my lifetime. The Saloon still operates as a safe space to this day, Moore says, though it has shifted from being a gay men's bar to being more a queer space. The bartender gets to know them and they get to know the bartender," Moore said.

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So I think so it's still used that way today. Otherwise, it would evaporate and would turn into something else. The Saloon celebrated its birthday on Saturday with a drag show, a performance from DJ Hector Fonseca, and a champagne toast. Minneapolis gay bar "The Saloon" celebrates 45 years in business.

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