What makes a queer bar last—and what happens when we stop expecting a bar to be just a bar?
In this episode of Our Dyke Histories, Jack Gieseking returns with Krista Burton, Greggor Mattson, and Theo Greene to explore the changing worlds of dyke bars*. The conversation asks what these spaces need to survive, who gets to feel welcome, and how queer communities can keep building places to gather.
Alcohol is no longer the only draw. The guests discuss sober spaces, cannabis usage, and other sports leagues, and the challenge of balancing a bar’s finances with the care its community requires. They also consider how consent culture has transformed queer nightlife. Trans people's presence and activism increased visibly in dyke bar spaces, making a pointed case for trans inclusion and centering everywhere.
But building queer space is not only about keeping a business open. It is also about making room for intergenerational community. The guests talk about queer elders, younger people claiming their right to belong, and the need to create parties, dancing, shared music, and gatherings in places where a dedicated bar may be hours away.
The episode closes with favorite bars, astrological signs, tarot, and ideas for bringing people together. Queer community doesn’t happen by accident. We make it—together.
Featuring: Jack Gieseking, Krista Burton, Greggor Mattson, and Theo Greene.
Books mentioned: Moby Dyke by Krista Burton; Who Needs Gay Bars? by Greggor Mattson; Not in My Gayborhood by Theo Greene; and A Queer New York by Jack Gieseking.
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Credits
Producer, Editor, Host, & Creative Director: Jack Gieseking
Co-Producer: Julie Enszer & Sinister Wisdom
Co-Producer & Co-Editor: Cade Waldo
Assistant Editor: Becca Moses & Sophie McClain
Social Media Manager: Audrey Wilkinson
Consulting Producer: Rachel Fagen
Music: Our theme song: "Like Honey" by Kit Orion https://www.kitorion.com/
CC-BY-NC-ND 2025. Write to us at ourdykehistories@gmail.com for permission to use any of our content.
