The Bars Are Ours: Histories and Cultures of Gay Bars in America, 1960 and After

Reviews

One of the Best Books of 2023. “Hilderbrand visits gay and lesbian bars across the United States, in large cities and in small towns, as he offers readers one of the most comprehensive views of their history, significance, and influence on queer communities nationwide. This well researched book features engaging prose, as well as photographs and archival posters in every chapter. This is not just a book that deserves attention; it is a beautiful tribute to LGBTQIA+ nightlife.” — Library Journal

“ a stunning new work of research. … One thing that stands out about the book is how howlingly funny some of the passages are, and this makes what could otherwise be a dry academic text both enchanting and engaging. … The book leaves the reader feeling that the era of gay bars is not over and they will evolve to meet the needs of our diverse communities in the future.” —Michael Flanagan, Bay Area Reporter

“The Bars Are Ours is a joy to read. Lucas Hilderbrand is able both to insert himself into his narrative in ways that makes it come alive and at the same time to step back and analyze. The stories are so compelling! Some made me laugh; some left me teary-eyed; and some offered eye-opening insights into a history that is shamefully under-told and under-appreciated.” — John D’Emilio

“Lucas Hilderbrand’s The Bars Are Ours is a true tour de force. It is a comprehensive historical study of gay bars in the United States that is at once exhaustively researched and beautifully precise. Hilderbrand demonstrates a true respect for this history and tells it in a vital new way. Clearly and elegantly written, this is a nuanced, conceptual, and moving work.” — Christina B. Hanhardt

“Hilderbrand’s writing is transportive, which bolsters his impressive research. … A powerful celebration and examination of LGBTQIA+ nightlife. This book will serve as a significant record of evolving cultural touchstones and queer communities across the country.” — starred review, Library Journal

“In his historical opus, Hilderbrand makes a comprehensive study of the history of gay bars in America from 1960 to the present day. Hilderbrand’s take on the subject doesn’t shirk from looking at the bad as well as the good. In the early days, gay bars were a seedy affair, usually operated by non-gay organized crime. Later, even as more gay people assumed ownership of the bars, many of those owners were of questionable character. But as the community evolved, so did the bars, becoming more crucial contributors to the building of a diverse, supportive, and positive community.” — Booklist

“A fascinating archival deep dive. . . . Chock-full of excerpts from local gay press rags, recent oral histories, and a treasure trove of old fliers and ads that are as sexy as they are clever and funny, the book shows how the bars reflected the queer communities they attracted—in their irreverence, activism, and spirit of warmth and safety, as well as (sometimes) their overt or implicit discrimination and bias against patrons who did not fit a certain cisgender, gay white male ideal. … [An] absorbing new book, an academic text that is actually fun and riveting to read.” — Tim Murphy, The Body

“A happy cry … The Bars Are Ours tickled the sweet spot in my nostalgia, while also being pretty clear about the ways that gay bars have historically been complicated—racist, gender-policing and often unwelcoming to people who are considered too old, insufficiently fancy or not commercially attractive. Hilderbrand is my favourite kind of smartypants—he knows an absolute ton and still manages to write interesting, vibrant prose with some of the sparkle still on it, not weighted down with jargon and internal politicking of the discipline.” — S. Bear Bergman, Xtra magazine

“sprawling, playful and rigorous” — Hari Nef, The New York Times

“a history by means of a series of in-depth case studies—a bar crawl, if you will … It is by embodying this tension between inclusion and exclusion—the bouncer’s nightly decision about who gets in and who doesn’t—that makes bars so central to understanding the many contradictions of queer culture. … The best bars are always the ones we haven’t yet been to, and maybe that’s why we keep going out.” Kevin Brazil, The Baffler

“This project is a bold and ambitious undertaking, many years in the making, and Hilderbrand nailed it.” — JD Doyle

“Author Lucas Hilderbrand's sprawling tome looks at the ways watering holes shaped modern queer identity. Traveling from New York to Los Angeles, Houston to San Francisco, and many points in-between, Hilderbrand dives deep. The results are impressive” — Out

“Fucking beautiful.” — Emily Colucci, Filthy Dreams

“a remarkable achievement and essential reading for any serious student of contemporary queer history.” — Matthew Hays, Gay & Lesbian Review

Profiles: The Body, Duke University Press blog, UCI, The Windy City Times, Sewers of Paris podcast, LGBT Senior podcast One Thing or Another, KCUR (Kansas City Public Radio)

Postscript in Gay & Lesbian Review blog

Excerpts: Club Chico (Los Angeles) in GayCities and Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair (Denton, TX) in LitHub