As You Are, a queer bar, café, and dance boutique in D.C.’s Barracks Row neighborhood, has successfully raised over $156,000 through a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign. The amount exceeds the $150,000 goal set by the bar’s owners.
Co-owner Rach “Coach” Pike told Axios that the space, which opened fewer than two years ago, is in debt due to slow business during the winter months, increased operational costs, and an expensive lease.
“We need to get over this hump and out of debt, or we’ll be put out of business,” Pike said.
The funds raised through the GoFundMe campaign will be used to pay rent and back taxes, allowing the bar to qualify for community grants under the District’s “Clean Hands” mandate.
“We have faced some particularly tall and costly hurdles that have set us back significantly since the beginning,” Pike wrote on the GoFundMe page. “As we are tapping every resource we can imagine with creativity and open minds, we need urgent assistance…. [T]he funds raised will be applied immediately to saving AYA from closure.”
The campaign was launched earlier this week. So far, more than 2,900 individual donors have contributed.
As Axios notes, As You Are previously faced significant obstacles to opening due to social distancing restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and a lengthy process of negotiating a settlement agreement with its local Advisory Neighborhood Commission — which establishments serving alcohol are not required to enter under city regulations, but often do in order to extend an olive branch to their soon-to-be neighbors.
While negotiating the settlement agreement, local neighborhood leaders raised several objections or concerns about how the bar would mitigate noise, avoid disturbing nearby residents, maintain the property in good condition, and implement security plans to reduce instances of loitering, drunken behavior, or possible disturbances.
Despite being more than accommodating and engaging with those neighbors about their concerns, As You Are was financially impacted by the delay in getting that settlement agreement approved, and by the general drop-off in business that occurred at the height of the pandemic, which impacted many D.C. establishments.
As You Are’s niche is unique due to its status — and marketing — as a queer-affirming space at a time when queer bars across the nation have struggled to stay open.
According to the Lesbian Bar Project, there are fewer than 30 lesbian-centric bars or nightclubs remaining in the United States. Understandably, then, there are plenty of people — not only in D.C., but nationwide — willing to contribute to keep such a space up and running.
Pike told Axios they’re “shocked” by the outpouring of support from the LGBTQ community. “The queer community never surprises me, but it blows me away every time,” she said.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly summarized the nature of settlement agreements. Under District regulations, no alcohol-licensed business is under any obligation to enter a settlement agreement. If a venue refuses to sign a proposed settlement agreement, the parties involved may bring the disagreement before the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board for adjudication.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has suspended Sport Lisboa e Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni for six matches for anti-gay conduct directed at Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League match.
The ban includes one match that Prestianni, an Argentinian native, sat out as part of a provisional suspension following the February 17 game against Real Madrid. The ban also includes three matches that were suspended for a two-year period.
Because part of the ban is suspended, Prestianni will only have to sit out two more matches unless he commits another offense, ESPN reports.
When Metro Weekly first spoke with Milo Miles, late last year, the Canadian adult performer was already well aware that crossing the border into the United States could be a risky proposition.
"In Canada, we have pre-clearance," Miles said, referring to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance operation at Toronto Pearson Airport, whereby passengers heading to the U.S. are screened in Canada before boarding their flights, rather than when they land stateside. "They take their job a little too seriously. I have two phones, a personal one and a business one. The personal one usually gets cleared before I cross the border. No Trump memes, for example. Sex work is really frowned upon, and sex work alone is probably reason enough to prevent entry. There are precautions that I take."
A gay couple in Lairoux, France, say they’ve been targeted by a string of homophobic attacks, including death threats, anonymous letters, anti-gay graffiti, and vandalism at their home.
Referred to in news reports by the pseudonyms Alain and Hugo, the pair, who are teachers, live in a region dominated by the National Rally, France’s far-right populist party, which has historically opposed LGBTQ rights.
The couple told the independent French outlet Basta! that the harassment began in October 2024, when graffiti was scrawled on their front door reading, "No f**s in Vendée," referring to the region where Lairoux is located.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.