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Last week, the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in Texas, Robert’s Lafitte, was warned it could be shut down in 30 days unless it made thousands of dollars in repairs.
That would be a devastating hit to the queer community in its hometown of Galveston, according to Terry Michael Fuller, who coordinates special events and bartends at Robert’s.
“It’s like our second home,” he told The Independent. “It’s our safe place.”
In that time, the bar, a few blocks from Galveston’s oceanside Pleasure Pier, has been with its patrons through everything, Fuller said, from hurricanes to the AIDS epidemic. During Covid, Robert’s helped distribute food baskets to patrons and community members.
The bar, which first opened under the name Lafitte’s in 1965, has always served a variety of people, Fuller added.
open image in gallery Robert’s Lafitte, the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in Texas, could go under in weeks unless it raises thousands of dollars for repairs ( Google Street View )
“It’s always a mixed crowd there,” he said. “Straight, gay, transgender, bisexual. We get all walks of life. It’s just been a safe haven for people to go and literally be who they are.”
That safe haven was put in jeopardy when someone reported Robert’s, a self-professed dive bar, to county health authorities and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Now the bar needs to spend thousands of dollars to remain up to code.
The Independent has contacted both agencies for comment.
Disruptions at the bar not only threaten the business itself but also the performers and vendors who rely on it.
Fuller pointed to Galveston’s upcoming Pup Weekend festival, slated for May 15 through 17, and said travelers had already booked hotels and made plans, with the expectation that Robert’s will be there.
open image in gallery Staff say the bar has been a vital hub in Galveston’s relatively small queer community ( Getty )
“It’s kind of like that ripple effect,” he said.
The staff at Robert’s has a starting goal of raising $10,000, though the final need could be even greater if repairs to their building’s aging plumbing and drywall reveal further problems.
So far, thanks to a mix of online donations and local events, the bar has raised about $4,000. Staff have also poured their own savings into fixing up the building.
Robert’s isn’t the only gay bar that’s struggling.
open image in gallery Gay bars across the country have faced economic challenges and policy hurdles, including attempts from states like Texas to ban drag performance ( Getty )
Between 2012 and 2021, about 50 percent of the country’s gay bars closed, sociologist Greggor Mattson has estimated.
High costs and declining post-pandemic foot traffic have further hit the country’s LGBTQ+ bars in the years since, and closures have continued.
States, including Texas, have also sought to partially ban drag performances, many of which take place in LGBTQ+ bars. After years of legal battling, a Texas appeals court ruled earlier this year that the state’s ban can go into effect amid an ongoing lawsuit.