By Ashley Johnson

Howard University News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Local LGBTQ+ bars in the D.C. area are preparing for the first election night watch parties since the 2016 election. 

Bars across the district are advertising happy hour prices on drinks and food all night and an atmosphere of dialogue surrounding the election. Some bars, like Thurst Lounge, the only Black-owned LGBTQ+ bar in D.C., are trying to provide a safe, comfortable space for a night filled with anxiety. 

“We’re at kind of the precedence of real change. We could literally be forced back into a time where it was not safe to be free or to be yourself, so getting people together and to inspire them to donate or to watch the results and to feel the sense of urgency around what’s going on is important to us,” said co-owner Brandon Burke. 

Burke, along with his business partners, Shaun Mykals, Doaa Aldoori and Mosab Salih, started Thurst Lounge in 2023 and has maintained its presence as the only night spot catering to Black LGBTQ+ customers. 

Throughout the election season, they have been encouraging their patrons to vote by offering free drinks to customers who voted or registered to vote. 

As You Are, an LGBTQ+ bar and cafe on 8th Street owned by Jo McDaniel and Rach Pike —is also preparing for election night. McDaniel said it is very important to have a space where you feel comfortable watching this historic event. 

“[As You Are is] coming together in this moment of celebration, and I think that on the flip side of that, when we are worried and stressed, you also need, you still need a connection to feel safe, to feel comfortable, and some people just don’t want to be alone,” she said.  

McDaniel said voting helps her feel more powerful.

“Voting is one of the few ways that you feel less helpless. Even if the system is not where we want it by a long shot, it does feel like for me… like I had something to do with something, you know,” McDaniel said.

Dusty Martinez, the owner of A Little Gay Pub, plans to ensure his staff feels supported mentally and physically on election night. He said he is used to feeling unsafe.

“We’re a queer bar, so to feel unsafe or to feel uneasy,  like that’s kind of another day thing for us in general. So tomorrow is not going to be hopefully any different. We’re going to be aware; we’re going to be mindful of what’s happening.” Martinez said.

After Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party nomination for president, A Little Gay Pub displayed her picture out front. It was later defaced with graffiti, which left the staff feeling uneasy. Despite this, Martinez planned to head into election night with optimism. 

“We’re going to do exactly the same thing we do every day, which is open, be a safe space for people to walk in to, to feel comfortable, to come in and be themselves, watch this thing together with people that agree, and that can be adults,” Martinez said. 

Little Gay Pub planned to open at 5 p.m. on Election Day, encouraging patrons to come and drink while they await election results with like-minded people. 

Some bars in the area openly support the Harris-Walz campaign, either by word of mouth or with signs posted outside the establishment. Brett Johnson, a manager at Larry’s Lounge, doesn’t think that will discourage conservative voters from stopping by their openly queer, liberal space. 

“Everyone knows what the bar leans towards… We all talk openly about all the issues. It’s actually great that we can agree to completely disagree and still have a great friendship,” Johnson said. 

While many LGBTQ+ voters feel like there is a safe space for them, there is only one bar in D.C. that specifically caters to the Black queer community.  

Jeremey Allman, vice president of Howard’s Coalition of Activist Students Celebrating Diversity and Equality, says that it is important to create spaces for the black queer community. 

“Coming to Howard University, I had never been around many queer people, especially black queer people, so just being around those people motivated me to be my authentic self,” he said. 

While reluctant to spend election night at a local bar, Allman is confident in the D.C. Metropolitan Police’s ability to ensure everyone’s safety.

“I am feeling very comfortable. However, I, myself, will not be outside, at the communities, at the bars, or any watch parties; only ones that are campus-approved and campus-protected,” he said.

Ashley Johnson is a reporter for Howard University News Service.