HOUSTON – Houston’s only lesbian bar is now a recipient of a grant that will allow them to stay in business.
In a news release Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), in partnership with SHOWTIME announced Pearl Bar and several other bars in the U.S. as recipients of the “Queer to Stay" grant, which supports LGBTQ+ businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“It has been a hard road getting through this, but between our community and this ‘Queer to Stay’ initiative, we are excited to open slowly starting this weekend,” Pearl Bar said on its Instagram account on Tuesday. "Thank you for all the love and support We literally wouldn’t have made it through this without y’all.”
The goal of the “Queer to Stay” grant is to identify and donate to a number of LGBTQ+ businesses based on the communities it serves and how COVID-19 has affected it, according to the release. As businesses are widely affected by the pandemic due to events such as Pride Month being canceled, widespread revenue losses were reported.
“We deserve to spend our money where we are treated with respect and welcomed from the moment we walk in the door," said bar owner Julie Mabry in a statement. "Even through this pandemic, it has become more obvious than ever that there is still a lot of hate in this country and I think now more than ever we need to protect our safe spaces.”