Kristen ‘Dave’ Dausch’s first step towards finding a new identity and community was leaving their small Indiana hometown.
By opening pop-up lesbian bars, Dausch hopes to raise money to open Queens’ first only lesbian-owned tavern as a place for the community to gather.
Dausch hopes their business will be the solution for those who do not have safe spaces to convene.
Queens is a diverse city, and it was here where Dausch came out six years ago before launching their mission.
According to Dausch there are only two gay bars in Astoria, but they feel these sites don’t fully represent the lesbian community. There are currently only two lesbian-owned bars in New York City. A third closed during the pandemic.
The planned pop-ups are intended to create hype for the new bar, and a fundraiser has already raised more than $10,000 in donations.
Dausch is hoping Dave’s Lesbian Bar will have a monthly pop-up until they can get a permanent space, hopefully within the next year and a half.
The first pop-up of Dave’s Lesbian bar was held next to Heart of Gold, an Astoria bar that has struggled through the Covid-19 pandemic, like so many others.
Nevertheless, Heart of Gold owner James Rutuelo was glad to help a potential competitor and Beth Mariah Glick, an Astoria resident and stand up comic, was impressed with the outcome of the pop-up event.
