Gay bars bloomington il

Adjusting to a new place can be tough. Escalating housing costs were making life unaffordable for Lair and their spouse. Lair looked at several states for a possible move. A graphic design job at Illinois State University brought them here. Lair moved to Bloomington-Normal in at the height of the pandemic and against a backdrop of discrimination against people of Asian descent.

The Bistro's 'Momma' crafts a safe space for LGBTQ people — one cocktail at a time

Frankie Pelusi was raised in Bloomington but moved to Chicago after college. They left due to burnout. I just was like, I need to do something else. Pelusi moved back to Bloomington in Despite having grown up here, Pelusi found that moving back home was difficult. While in Chicago, Gay came out as nonbinary and began hormone replacement therapy.

But then it can be a really different thing in practice. A greater bloomington has been squaring with the isolation Lair feels as a transgender person of color. Lair also felt gaps in the number of queer-friendly spaces compared to a large, metropolitan city. The Queer Coalition at Illinois State University is an affinity group serving faculty, staff and graduate students.

Lair is a Queer Coalition executive board member and, as someone new to to the area, connected with the queer community through their involvement. Destihl and Mystic Kitchen periodically host drag brunches. For many, the Bistro has served as an unofficial bar point for queer life in the Twin Cities. Prairie Pride Coalition organized a resource fair for local transgender and nonbinary folks from p.

And for the late crowd, there are yet more drag queens plus a set from DJ Rakestraw at The Bistro Saturday night, beginning at 11 p. Search Query Show Search. Sign In. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:. All Streams. Local News. Welcome Home. WGLT's series that helps Bloomington-Normal's newest residents learn about the community as it exists, and empowers them to make it the home they want it to be.