How Queer Bars in Red States Forge On | Eater

"A small Fort Worth gay bar whose owner, recalling decades of discrimination and the AIDS era, has focused on creating a protective, inclusive gathering place with no-room-for-drag intimacy; the space offers THC drinks, mocktails, free soda and a slate of low-key community events like a run club, book club, and art markets to foster connections. The owner was recently shaken by an unsettling incident when a heavily covered man lingered at the door and was escorted out, reigniting fears about targeted hostility amid a conservative local climate; the bar sits across from a now-defunct venue famous for a 2009 raid, underscoring the fragility of queer spaces in the area." - Lane Gillespie