Gay bars and clubs in westchester county ny

Matt ReichStaff Writer December 9, Four girls sat at a table under the dim glow of rainbow lights, and nearly a dozen men crowding around the far right end of the bar. A brightly hued pride flag adorned the wall behind the men. A middle-aged blonde woman pretended to pull the boat closer to her.

Tess walked towards the woman and grabbed her hands, still not missing a beat. Tess glided down the length of the bar in a faux ballroom dance stance, ushering the woman away from the dance floor until they reached the front door. Tess slammed the door closed as she pushed the woman out the door, before racing back towards the dance floor and landing atop her makeshift boat with excellent timing.

They get naked. Soon after coming out, she felt the urge to participate in the LGBT community within Westchester, yet, she still felt a little uncomfortable because she was older now. Drag became the confidence booster she needed. Rhoda first appeared on the scene with the opening of the B-Lounge, a gay bar opening in Valhalla.

It was the only gay bar in Westchester, but there is was no drag scene. The internet is what provided Rhoda her needed drag mother tutelage. Several months after she first attended B-Lounge, she accepted an offer to host a bingo night. As she begun hosting the bingo nights, she noticed her tribe had found her.

Slowly but surely, a tribe of individuals who expressed their own interest in drag found their way to her. The bullying became so unbearable that her parents packed up and moved to Pelham. In or out of drag, their drag family is there for them. Tess performing while Rhoda watches, the scene is a switch from how they first met at B-Lounge.

Back then, Rhoda was the only queen and Tess was but a high schooler.

The Impact

Tess was one of the several B-Lounge frequenters who would approach Rhoda to express their interest in drag. B-Lounge would eventually close in The closure of the only gay bar in Westchester could be traced to a decline in the already tepid support by the LGBT community of Westchester.

It was a rare venue that has only become more endangered as no official gay bar has taken its place. That was the final missing piece. The surge in turnout and ability to socialize in a safe setting that night was not lost on the people in attendance. Several asked Loughran to make the night a regular event.

This time, the risk would include drag queens.