While San Francisco restaurateurs are breathing a sigh of relief as they begin the slow process of reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, still-shuttered nightlife venues continue to languish in an uncomfortable, ambiguous limbo.
It's an especially tough blow for the City's LGBTQ bars and clubs, which would ordinarily be packed to their glittered gills during Pride Month. This year, there will be no spilling drinks while dancing at Oasis, drag numbers at Lookout, or sub-$5 drinks at Aunt Charlie's Lounge.
While we wait and see and hope that all our favorite gay bars will again see the light of day, we've gathered links to their GoFundMe pages, online acts, and more so we can all show our support for SF's rich queer nightlife scene during Pride.
The SF Eagle
Leather daddies, motorcycle mommas, bears, cubs, pups, and otters have long come together at this mainstay of the recently minted Leather District.
While the venue remains shuttered, you can help the SF Eagle Family Fund reach its $20,000 fundraising goal; all proceeds directly support the furloughed staff. Also look out for the grand opening of Eagle Plaza, the first public park in SF dedicated to the leather community, once SIP is lifted. // 398 12th St. (SoMa), thesfeagle.com
Oasis SF
Opened by drag legends Heklina and D'Arcy Drollinger on New Years Day in 2015, Oasis is both newer to the scene and also a landmark gay nightclub and performance venue thanks to its well-known local and international headliners (and reasonably priced drinks).
To help keep Oasis afloat until the venue can reopen, devotees can sends funds via Venmo. You can also watch archival Oasis performances on YouTube to relive the glory days until they open again. // 298 11th St. (SoMa), sfoasis.com
Aunt Charlies Lounge
A last bastion of the Tenderloin's heyday as the City's OG gayborhood before the Castro came to be, Aunt Charlies—beloved for its drag shows, which attracted lovers of the art form from all walks of life—had a pandemic-era scare when it started running out of money this summer.
A GoFundMe campaign brought in enough donations (just over $100,000) to cover the bar's overhead until around August 1, but with no re-opening in sight, they still need our help. Head over to GoFundMe and give what you can.
// 133 Turk St. (Tenderloin), auntcharlieslounge.com
The Edge
This corner bar has been one of the best spots for people-watching (and $1 second drinks) in the Castro for over 25 years. During shelter in place, The Edge is among the many local businesses taking its game virtual—tune in to their Twitch channel for musical numbers and bouts of boozy creativity and beards.
Check The Edge's Facebook page for updates on its anticipated reopening for sidewalk dining and cocktails soon. // 4149 18th St. (Castro), qbarsf.com
Lookout
This upstairs bar on Market Street is admittedly fairing better than most of its peers in the queer nightlife space given its ability to serve food (and drink) for takeout. But until the Lookout can reopen its beloved balcony and party space for people-watching, drag shows, and community events, many of its staff remain off duty and could use your help.
If you purchase a gift card, 50 percent of the proceeds will go directly to the staff. And, of course, if you order takeout, now is the time to tip big.
// 3600 16th St. (Castro), lookoutsf.com
You can also support for the Queer Nightlife Fund, a nonprofit set up by prominent local personages, including Juanita More! and Race Bannon, to help these very nightlife workers stay solvent during this dystopian time.
