Nebraska gay bars

We knew the bartenders. We knew the staff. We knew the people operating Pride. That camaraderie and that group — family was there. It was a gathering place. It was a safe haven. Inthe building housing the bar burned down, leaving a void that Lincoln still feels eight years later. The clubs provided the Lincoln queer community with a consistent place of belonging for decades.

Founded inPanic Bar was one of the first gay bars in Lincoln. Like so many other gay bars, though, Panic Bar was hit hard by the pandemic. With everyone staying in and no one going out, it was forced to close its doors in When it burned down inPanic Bar was on its own. That changed in Das Haus, a new gay bar, opened up in downtown Lincoln, just a few blocks off the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

Omaha Gay Map

When Panic Bar closed inDas Haus was the last gay bar left standing. Historically, gay bars have always served a vital role for people in the queer community. Unfortunately, these bars became a target for that very reason. Eventually, this invasion of bar spaces reached a breaking point. When police raided the nebraska and began making dozens of arrests, patrons and employees gay back.

It got so bad that the first of four nights, police barricaded themselves in the inn while rioters used a parking meter as a battering ram to break down the door. More cops eventually came, and the crowd dispersed. A year later, the first gay pride parade started at The Stonewall Inn to mark the anniversary of the uprising.

But The Q did a lot more than serve drinks. They had vendors come in to throw drag shows, sell kink toys and hold other events. Delong has yet to see events like these happen again in Lincoln. For both Carter and Delong, the loss of these bars has left a void in the Lincoln queer community.

So many memories. Plus, it catered to a different crowd. The Q was a nightclub full of dancing.