They aren't just about getting drunk or hooking up, they're refuges from harassment and discrimination, places where you can meet people like you and know you aren't alone. Though it can feel like we're everywhere, sometimes we still need somewhere secure to go.įor decades, gay bars have served as one of those safe places. Or perhaps it's something in between, like a reporter breaching the privacy of users on a dating app to find gay Olympic athletes for a story. Maybe it's a singer using homophobic language at a concert, or something far worse, like a violent mob attacking a pride parade or a gay person getting bashed on the street. All too often, we're reminded why that's the case. It's easy to forget that even in an age of marriage equality, a gay Cabinet secretary and a bazillion seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, LGBTQ people still need safe spaces.