Gay bars in bloomington illinois

Jan Lancaster is a business owner, a community organizer — and soon-to-be History Maker. Lancaster grew up in Normal. Like many of her peers, she got married at 18 and had two children shortly after that. She worked for Johnny Martin Chevrolet, then for the Music Shoppe, and enjoyed letting off steam at the bars and pubs in downtown Bloomington.

That was A few months later, Lancaster was persuaded to buy The Bistro. She kept the name and has [mostly] avoided TVs — but everything else changed. The Bistro is more than a bar. In the early years, it served as a safe haven for queer people at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Lancaster co-founded Prairie Pride Coalition and worked to pass the equal rights amendment in Bloomington and Normal. The Bistro also organizes downtown Bloomington's annual Pride Fest. Lancaster recalled a time when patrons parked their cars far from the bar to avoid being outed.

Keeping the bar afloat has been a perpetual challenge, but The Bistro lives on.

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

A sea change in LGBTQ tolerance and acceptance has forced gay bars, born out of necessityto ask themselves what role they still play in the bar industry — and the queer community. But it maintains the trappings of one. And she admits gay bars need to change in order to survive, including appealing to a wider audience.

The Bistro draws a range of customers to Bingo nights and karaoke; what was once weekly drag shows have been pared down — a lot. But Lancaster hopes LGBTQ youth come to The Bistro not just for late-night cocktails when the other downtown bars close, but for the history lesson it offers. As for an off-ramp, Lancaster thinks a lot about retirement.

Search Query Show Search. Sign In. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:. All Streams. Local News. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. Lauren Warnecke. But to many in Bloomington-Normal, she is simply known as "Momma.