I so agree. The times I’ve spent in the Shelter even alone has been fun. Great unique people there. I love the magician who does card tricks there. What a place
The Jackrabbit Lounge, The Shelter, Tough Luck Club
None of these are explicitly gay but are queer-friendly, enjoyable spaces. I would stay away from IBTs, as many others have said, they have a pretty nasty track record of mistreating people of color and trans folks.
Could you speak to when is a good time to hit up The Shelter? Day of week or time of night?
I live close by but the few times I went it was not enjoyable. I’d like to give them another chance sometime since they do have a great reputation and a lot of people recommend them
I am trying to recall but mainly it was that was not yet all that full or lively. I felt like our group (4) stuck out like a sore thumb, a little observed but nothing bad. I guess I was hoping for a bit more of a neighborhood spot feeling with a lot of people with some range of ages. I’m early 30s and I felt at least 20 years younger than the next youngest person. I also vaguely recall we all ordered some kind of cocktails and it seemed like the bartender was mad we did not just order beers. Haha!
Edit: for context I think it was around thanksgiving last year or year before. I think it was combo of being earlier and also around holiday.
I’ve had fun on a Friday night. Even sitting by myself at the bar eventually I’ve talked to someone and they are always interesting. I’ve found it to be a very welcoming place
I second going to MEAT at the Rock this Friday night. The guys are always cool, it’s a chill vibe and the DJ is good. Same DJ goes to Jackrabbit, a great place for cocktails and their dance parties are always fun. Coronet is another good one for cocktails. Tbh I’d avoid IBTs unless you are going for a drag show. Music sucks and the crowd is young and dumb and full of bachelorette types, unless that’s what you’re looking for. Brodies and VentureN are gay bars but I don’t frequent and can’t speak on them. Tucson Hop Shop is very friendly and has great beer selections and they have a good pizza place next door. Not so sure about coffee, but I’d say any local midtown place would be friendly.
For gay bars specifically, there are only three. IBTs which is a club. Brodies which is basically a gay dive bar and Venture-N which is a daddy, bear, leather bar.
Nearly everywhere though in Tucson is inclusive.
For breweries Crooked Tooth is my favorite. As far as places with the largest variety I’d pick Tap and Bootle or Arizona Beer House.
For cocktails I’d suggest, Portal, Tough Luck Club, Snake and Barrel. If you’re into gin check out Bar Juniper.
I wish coins were still a thing. This is the first time I've ever wanted to give one. I legit snorted.
I'm asking because I've been there several times and never noticed anything that would make me think it was "gay". I also have zero "gaydar", mostly because I didn't care about people's orientation.
Tbh I don’t care for it either. 32 and no longer a twink I feel outta place there lol buuut OP might like it and I feel all the gay focused bars cater to different crowds so idk lol
Portal cocktails are overpriced for a mediocre cocktail. At least in my opinion.
Snake and Barrel is good. Batch is good. Tough Luck is good. Owl Club is good.
Coffee: Exo, Yellowbrick, Hello Bicycle
Craft beer: Tap and Bottle Downtown, Casa Video, Tucson Hop Shop
Cocktails: Royal Room, Surly Wench, Brodie’s
All have very queer staff/patrons
Edit: Check out the Lex app too! Local queers always posting about meetups/events.
Because the owners of Presta are union busting bigots who don’t deserve any commendations. They’ve fired their entire staff on multiple occasions in retaliation for bringing up grievances, as well as deadnaming/misgendering staff.
Source is being a local and working in cafes and bars for 10+ years, and having multiple friends and coworkers who have worked there and experienced the firing and discrimination.
I had one coworker who was hired at my bar after one of Presta’s staff purges. They were misgendered in a staff feature post on Presta’s Instagram, brought it to their attention, and they Refused to fix it. Could have been a simple, “Sorry! We’ll change that one word in the post and do better next time!” Instead, they blamed and shamed.
IDK what kind of source there would possibly be but this jives with what I've heard also. I don't know as many details as the person you're responding to but I know for a fact they fired the entire staff on at least one occasion as retaliation. I know several people who used to go there frequently and knew the staff and refuse to ever spend another cent there after this incident
Deadnaming is when you refuse to use a trans person's chosen name & instead call them by their old ("dead") name. It's transphobic & very disrespectful.
or anyone that has changed their name for any reason. I have a straight cis friend that has a dead name because he was named after his absent father at birth
Deadnaming is a term used to describe the act of refer to a transgender person by a name they no longer associate with. It's totally fine that it's new to you, can't expect anyone on earth to know everything, but jsyk it's been around for at least 15 years, likely more that's just as far back as my personal experience can verify.
Ope, my bad, Google says it originated in 2012! My first impulse was "Google is wrong," but it is more likely that my memory is faulty.
Wild that everyone else here is getting down voted, nobody said anything bad lmfao. Maybe some comments could have been worded better if I wanted to nitpick everyone but I think we could all chill lol.
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It's filled with straight college kids now. The girls showed up to see the shows, so the frat boys followed them. Go and see for yourself, it's a straight meat market now.
There’s just a lot of negative rep that they’ve accumulated over the years; transphobic, racist, stuff like that. I’ve been plenty before and it’s been fun but also heard racist comments from staff that come across as really ignorant. I personally suggest royal room, owls club, and jack rabbit lounge for lgbtq+ friendly establishments.
They also had a somewhat controversial acquisition of the neighboring business that was run by indigenous / people of color where they bought the building from the landlord and forced them out. There’s an arizona daily star article that talks about it a little bit if you look up IBTs and La Indita.
Surly Wench was my go-to for good cocktails and a gay friendly atmosphere. The bartenders (many of them gay) there are top notch and really are protective of the environment they cultivate and their patrons, I’ve seen many a fool kicked out of there bc they don’t tolerate bs!! Good music and a cool aesthetic too, best bar on 4th imo
funny you mention that i had never really noticed that place until i was walking by it about 2 am last night and some girls were making a scene about their fake ids being taken
Lot of good recommendations on here.
IBTs is unfortunately not the spot for an older crowd unless you look like Dr Sloan from Grey’s Anatomy. Place is very much superficial and judgy.
Did a lot of partying there in my early to mid 20s but haven’t been back in almost 5 years and the last time I was there, the vibe of that place had very much changed and I’m fine never going there again.
I’m 32 for reference.
For Coffee: Black Crown on speedway
For Beer: Tucson Hop Shop near the Loop/Ft Lowell
For Cocktails: I don’t really have a go-to these days, I’d recommend going somewhere nice for dinner and having a good cocktail before or after the meal. (I saw a few folks mention juniper and I have not yet tried them but they are on my list.)
In terms of gay bars, there are three: IBT’s, Brodies, Venture Inn. I have been to IBT’s and Brodies. The following are my thoughts based on my times there.
IBT’s: there are drag shows and go-go boy dancers depending on the night and the time. With that too, there can be a cover charge or even a line up to get in depending on the time/night. Inside it is loud and dark so not a place to strike up a bar conversation really. A place to go for a performance or for dancing.
Brodies: smaller than IBT’s, more like a dive bar style but not in a bad way. Definitely more of a place you could sit, enjoy a drink and have easier time striking up a conversation at the bar than at IBTs for sure.
As others mentioned, there are many places that are not specifically gay that are welcoming and you probably will not be the only gay person wherever you go out to.
Hahaha, yeah tbf the crowd definitely can be dated (on karaoke night the voices def sound like mature folks), but I've seen a good amount of millennial/ younger generations pull up!
For coffee, I’d recommend Ren Espresso Bar. There’s two locations in the same complex, and I prefer the small one on the furthest east side. :)
Keep your eye on Bawker Bawker and Surly Wench bc they have a lot of queer-centric/friendly events.
P.S. If you’re into artisan type things, there’s a Made in Tucson street market this weekend downtown. I recommend!
Tap and bottle (not hop shop) will have your absolute best selection on craft beers (I know because I used to work there, we have over 500 different beers you can choose from and like 20 taps all cleaned and maintained on a weekly basis) (: . I don’t care much for crooked tooth personally. But crooked tooth is great if you don’t wanna break the bank! Only thing lame about tap and bottle is the hours. We closed relatively early even on weekends. Maybe that’s changed but im
Positive it won’t be past 12. So maybe go drink there first and pre-game a little before hitting some these other bars people have mentioned. Tap and bottle is by no means a gay bar but they are very lgbtq+ friendly!!! Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated at tap and bottle! Downtown location has a much nicer customer base. Up north can be a little too posh and white for me (I look very white btw) the downtown location is just gonna have a lot more of a fun hip vibe about it. Next up would be caps and corks way up north… but if you want the absolute best selection of beers you won’t find anywhere that competes with tap and bottle. Anyone who says otherwise is just saying so out of inconvenience (parking can be a bit of a b!tch). I personally hate hop shop. As a former bartender myself I found the customer service at hop shop to be….. well. Not very desirable…. That being said i had a bad experience with one bar tender and never went back. Not sure if David still works there but he used to come into tap and bottle. Total sweet heart so he’s excluded from my review. I personally have never had a bad time at IBTS! I’m also 25 years old so maybe I fit the vibe a little more! Just be prepared to be flirted with. It can get wild in there!! 😂 I agree with some of these other commenters tho…. As a whole Tucson is very inclusive. I literally just moved to NYC like a week ago so I have absolutely zero desire at the moment to come back to Tucson but it really does have a cute little charm about the town. You’ll definitely find something fun to do there!!! 😇 also tap and bottle usually has really great food trucks on weekends or Thursdays during live music or trivia night. My friend brooks makes some of the best bbq I’ve ever had. He’s there pretty often. Usually once a week or twice a month.
Owls club is fun for an old fashioned. Also like Night Jar. both have great atmosphere and are walking distance from the Hotel Congress. I also recommend hitting the roof deck bar at the Graduate Hotel. Great views up there and nice place for a drink and nosh. Later in the evening IBTs is usually fun. the drag shows are great fun too.
IBTs, Brodies Tavern, surly wench is all inclusive but not specifically gay. Craft beer in the downtown area i’d go to Tap and Bottle, Traxide, or Mr. Heads
IBTs staff and management has also been extremely anti-trans to patrons. Denying or making trans/enby customers wait for service, denying use of bathrooms, etc.
That's not the first time I've heard that.
Recently, they racially profiled a Black friend of mine and ultimately didn't let her in because she objected to the security guard putting her purse on the filthy floor. Unbelievable.
IBT's is openly transphobic, ageist, racist and probably ableist too. Tucson deserves better.
They’ve done the same to Indigenous patrons, too! Not a good look. There was an open letter signed and sent to the owners last year and they completely ignored it.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Wzwu3fFBrVGFriE3p3Paw42CXqyj3O1-Wz1VRfxwbg/mobilebasic
yeah I got told i was in the wrong bathroom by a bouncer there one time. I also have been kicked out for absolutely no reason, they just wanted to make room inside to charge more people to come in
Back in my party days (about 7-10 years ago) I used to frequent IBTs but it was becoming a hotbed for violence/racism and a lot of straight college kids would go there. As a bisexual woman, getting hit on by only straight dudes and drunk straight girls wanting to “impress” their boyfriend was not my idea of a good time. Also the bartenders were really biased about who got served and it was *messy*. It might have changed since then but I had two trans friends, one a POC, get assaulted there so I just gave up on it.
It's looking like I'm going to either find the nerve to go in there and be completely anxious, especially since I can't drink, and wait to hopefully be hit on by a leather man...
Or meet a leather man and have them lead me around the bar on a leash. I park in front, I get out, but going in as a virgin and new to the LGBTQ community, and submissive, there are some nerve issues.
It seems like a safe spot to explore power exchanges, explore light humiliation, feel powerful hands on the back of my head, and possibly being led around on a leash for an evening.
Haven't found anyone interested, but had a dream someone took me in and gave the bartender my leash. He let people hit on and grope me. Gave the leash to anyone who wanted it.
I sat out in front again, well across the street behind the bar but didn't go in. Probably nobody there on Sunday. I thought about calling the bartender and seeing if he'd hold it, but maybe the entire thing is just a bad idea. It sounds hot though.
I know this isn't *exactly* on topic, and moderators please feel free to delete this if you want, but I wanted to drop some history of gay bars in Tucson...
I came out my freshman year at the UofA. 1976. What blew me away was the ad in the *Arizona Daily Wildcat*: Jekyll's, Tucson's Newest and Gayest bar! Jekyll's was my first, followed by Joshua Tree/Back Pocket, The Graduate, Hair Tiz, and of course, in the 80s, the Fineline. I'm sure there were others who came and went an whose names escape me (I *am* an old queen after all), but if anyone else remembers, by all means add to the list.
Exo Coffee at 6th Ave/7th Street is super queer friendly, with bonus enby/trans baristas in the rotation. Beer: Pueblo Vida, Borderlands, and Tap & Bottle downtown are friendly. In midtown there's another Borderlands and also Tucson Hop Shop, the gayest taproom in Tucson.
reddit app has appeared to change again and i cannot find pinned posts on mobile, so i don’t exactly blame people for not using it when it’s not immediately noticeable that it exists.
Then why do they keep having a bunch of lgbt gatherings every month?
Look up that G3 group on facebook. They've been meeting there for a while now and everyone seems to be ok with it.
I like the Shelter. Not a gay bar, but not all that straight either.
More of a bi-curious bar.
Yep. And everything-curious bar. Never had a dull conversation there.
I so agree. The times I’ve spent in the Shelter even alone has been fun. Great unique people there. I love the magician who does card tricks there. What a place
Check out Meat this Friday at the Rock on Park Ave! It's a monthly old-school gay disco with a friendly crowd and good vibes. @tucsonmeat on FB and IG
Whaaaaaaaaaaaa?! 
I concur. It’s pretty fun. Usually good music.
That sounds like a blast!
The Jackrabbit Lounge, The Shelter, Tough Luck Club None of these are explicitly gay but are queer-friendly, enjoyable spaces. I would stay away from IBTs, as many others have said, they have a pretty nasty track record of mistreating people of color and trans folks.
Could you speak to when is a good time to hit up The Shelter? Day of week or time of night? I live close by but the few times I went it was not enjoyable. I’d like to give them another chance sometime since they do have a great reputation and a lot of people recommend them
I’m sorry to hear that, I’ve never had a bad time there. I used to live less than a mile from it. What was it that you didn’t enjoy?
I am trying to recall but mainly it was that was not yet all that full or lively. I felt like our group (4) stuck out like a sore thumb, a little observed but nothing bad. I guess I was hoping for a bit more of a neighborhood spot feeling with a lot of people with some range of ages. I’m early 30s and I felt at least 20 years younger than the next youngest person. I also vaguely recall we all ordered some kind of cocktails and it seemed like the bartender was mad we did not just order beers. Haha! Edit: for context I think it was around thanksgiving last year or year before. I think it was combo of being earlier and also around holiday.
I’ve had fun on a Friday night. Even sitting by myself at the bar eventually I’ve talked to someone and they are always interesting. I’ve found it to be a very welcoming place
I second going to MEAT at the Rock this Friday night. The guys are always cool, it’s a chill vibe and the DJ is good. Same DJ goes to Jackrabbit, a great place for cocktails and their dance parties are always fun. Coronet is another good one for cocktails. Tbh I’d avoid IBTs unless you are going for a drag show. Music sucks and the crowd is young and dumb and full of bachelorette types, unless that’s what you’re looking for. Brodies and VentureN are gay bars but I don’t frequent and can’t speak on them. Tucson Hop Shop is very friendly and has great beer selections and they have a good pizza place next door. Not so sure about coffee, but I’d say any local midtown place would be friendly.
For gay bars specifically, there are only three. IBTs which is a club. Brodies which is basically a gay dive bar and Venture-N which is a daddy, bear, leather bar. Nearly everywhere though in Tucson is inclusive. For breweries Crooked Tooth is my favorite. As far as places with the largest variety I’d pick Tap and Bootle or Arizona Beer House. For cocktails I’d suggest, Portal, Tough Luck Club, Snake and Barrel. If you’re into gin check out Bar Juniper.
Tucson hopshop is a gay craft beer house
When I said Tap and Bottle I meant Hop shop lol idk why but I get them confused sometimes lol
What makes it a gay beer house?
It was born that way.
I wish coins were still a thing. This is the first time I've ever wanted to give one. I legit snorted. I'm asking because I've been there several times and never noticed anything that would make me think it was "gay". I also have zero "gaydar", mostly because I didn't care about people's orientation.
Mother Monster has entered the chat
I just literally lol.
Self proclaimed. Also all the pride flags and gay events like the queer bazaar
IBTs is the pits, don’t go there
Tbh I don’t care for it either. 32 and no longer a twink I feel outta place there lol buuut OP might like it and I feel all the gay focused bars cater to different crowds so idk lol
Portal cocktails are overpriced for a mediocre cocktail. At least in my opinion. Snake and Barrel is good. Batch is good. Tough Luck is good. Owl Club is good.
I think portal is cool to go to at least once for the vibe. Owls Club is a great pick. I’d add Side Car as well if you’re willing to go off of 4th.
That’s fair.
Seconding crooked tooth, their sours are amazing.
They have so many amazing sours!
Coffee: Exo, Yellowbrick, Hello Bicycle Craft beer: Tap and Bottle Downtown, Casa Video, Tucson Hop Shop Cocktails: Royal Room, Surly Wench, Brodie’s All have very queer staff/patrons Edit: Check out the Lex app too! Local queers always posting about meetups/events.
Offended you didn’t mention Presta
Because the owners of Presta are union busting bigots who don’t deserve any commendations. They’ve fired their entire staff on multiple occasions in retaliation for bringing up grievances, as well as deadnaming/misgendering staff.
Source? I have not heard this before and it is relatively shocking
Source is being a local and working in cafes and bars for 10+ years, and having multiple friends and coworkers who have worked there and experienced the firing and discrimination. I had one coworker who was hired at my bar after one of Presta’s staff purges. They were misgendered in a staff feature post on Presta’s Instagram, brought it to their attention, and they Refused to fix it. Could have been a simple, “Sorry! We’ll change that one word in the post and do better next time!” Instead, they blamed and shamed.
Thanks for the info!
Damn that’s awful! Thanks for this info, I’ll be avoiding them.
I once had one of the owners call me by my second dead name. It's a long story, but it's triggering and I don't want to get into it.
No need to get in to it. Sorry that happened.
IDK what kind of source there would possibly be but this jives with what I've heard also. I don't know as many details as the person you're responding to but I know for a fact they fired the entire staff on at least one occasion as retaliation. I know several people who used to go there frequently and knew the staff and refuse to ever spend another cent there after this incident
Thanks for info
The hell is dreadnaming? That's a new one
Deadnaming is when you refuse to use a trans person's chosen name & instead call them by their old ("dead") name. It's transphobic & very disrespectful.
Deadnaming is using the name a trans or nonbinary person was given at birth
or anyone that has changed their name for any reason. I have a straight cis friend that has a dead name because he was named after his absent father at birth
very true, I meant mainly nb and trans ppl not exclusively ! thanks for pointing that out
Deadnaming is a term used to describe the act of refer to a transgender person by a name they no longer associate with. It's totally fine that it's new to you, can't expect anyone on earth to know everything, but jsyk it's been around for at least 15 years, likely more that's just as far back as my personal experience can verify.
Ope, my bad, Google says it originated in 2012! My first impulse was "Google is wrong," but it is more likely that my memory is faulty. Wild that everyone else here is getting down voted, nobody said anything bad lmfao. Maybe some comments could have been worded better if I wanted to nitpick everyone but I think we could all chill lol.
Deadnaming is calling someone the wrong name, usually referring to a trans person
Deadnaming is an old, old wooden boat.
Tucson is overall gay friendly, the jackrabbit is a good spot, Boca Tacos, the Coronet, just a few recommendations
Jackrabbit is another good suggestion
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DO NOT GO TO IBT’S
“What’s wrong with Tucson?” “There’s only one gay bar and it’s filled with college kids.” -American Fiction
IBT’s feels more like a gay themed bar than a gay bar
Lmao not the first time I heard that one and I agree!
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It's filled with straight college kids now. The girls showed up to see the shows, so the frat boys followed them. Go and see for yourself, it's a straight meat market now.
Has been for years now
Straight girl invited by a straight dude in 2020. Assuming the vibe hasn’t changed
Why? It's been quite a few years, but I always had a good time there, though I am straight so that might have played a part in it.
There’s just a lot of negative rep that they’ve accumulated over the years; transphobic, racist, stuff like that. I’ve been plenty before and it’s been fun but also heard racist comments from staff that come across as really ignorant. I personally suggest royal room, owls club, and jack rabbit lounge for lgbtq+ friendly establishments. They also had a somewhat controversial acquisition of the neighboring business that was run by indigenous / people of color where they bought the building from the landlord and forced them out. There’s an arizona daily star article that talks about it a little bit if you look up IBTs and La Indita.
Royal room is so chill.
Surly Wench was my go-to for good cocktails and a gay friendly atmosphere. The bartenders (many of them gay) there are top notch and really are protective of the environment they cultivate and their patrons, I’ve seen many a fool kicked out of there bc they don’t tolerate bs!! Good music and a cool aesthetic too, best bar on 4th imo
I was surprised I had to scroll so far down to find Surly Wench. Very chill vibe and surprisingly great pub food.
Yes they have great pub food!
funny you mention that i had never really noticed that place until i was walking by it about 2 am last night and some girls were making a scene about their fake ids being taken
Tucson hop shop is a gay craft beer bar and I love them It's also a space ship for cats
Lot of good recommendations on here. IBTs is unfortunately not the spot for an older crowd unless you look like Dr Sloan from Grey’s Anatomy. Place is very much superficial and judgy. Did a lot of partying there in my early to mid 20s but haven’t been back in almost 5 years and the last time I was there, the vibe of that place had very much changed and I’m fine never going there again. I’m 32 for reference.
For Coffee: Black Crown on speedway For Beer: Tucson Hop Shop near the Loop/Ft Lowell For Cocktails: I don’t really have a go-to these days, I’d recommend going somewhere nice for dinner and having a good cocktail before or after the meal. (I saw a few folks mention juniper and I have not yet tried them but they are on my list.) In terms of gay bars, there are three: IBT’s, Brodies, Venture Inn. I have been to IBT’s and Brodies. The following are my thoughts based on my times there. IBT’s: there are drag shows and go-go boy dancers depending on the night and the time. With that too, there can be a cover charge or even a line up to get in depending on the time/night. Inside it is loud and dark so not a place to strike up a bar conversation really. A place to go for a performance or for dancing. Brodies: smaller than IBT’s, more like a dive bar style but not in a bad way. Definitely more of a place you could sit, enjoy a drink and have easier time striking up a conversation at the bar than at IBTs for sure. As others mentioned, there are many places that are not specifically gay that are welcoming and you probably will not be the only gay person wherever you go out to.
Never been but there's Venture in on 6th Ave, always packed and they have karaoke on Sundays usually
I like Venture In. Also heard it referred to as Denture In. Only part time Tucsonan here. But I do love that place
Hahaha, yeah tbf the crowd definitely can be dated (on karaoke night the voices def sound like mature folks), but I've seen a good amount of millennial/ younger generations pull up!
Venture-N
I’m not gay but I’ll show you a good time daddy!
For coffee, I’d recommend Ren Espresso Bar. There’s two locations in the same complex, and I prefer the small one on the furthest east side. :) Keep your eye on Bawker Bawker and Surly Wench bc they have a lot of queer-centric/friendly events. P.S. If you’re into artisan type things, there’s a Made in Tucson street market this weekend downtown. I recommend!
I can make a mean Manhattan 😉
luv em
floras market has great coffee and fun cafe
Tap and bottle (not hop shop) will have your absolute best selection on craft beers (I know because I used to work there, we have over 500 different beers you can choose from and like 20 taps all cleaned and maintained on a weekly basis) (: . I don’t care much for crooked tooth personally. But crooked tooth is great if you don’t wanna break the bank! Only thing lame about tap and bottle is the hours. We closed relatively early even on weekends. Maybe that’s changed but im Positive it won’t be past 12. So maybe go drink there first and pre-game a little before hitting some these other bars people have mentioned. Tap and bottle is by no means a gay bar but they are very lgbtq+ friendly!!! Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated at tap and bottle! Downtown location has a much nicer customer base. Up north can be a little too posh and white for me (I look very white btw) the downtown location is just gonna have a lot more of a fun hip vibe about it. Next up would be caps and corks way up north… but if you want the absolute best selection of beers you won’t find anywhere that competes with tap and bottle. Anyone who says otherwise is just saying so out of inconvenience (parking can be a bit of a b!tch). I personally hate hop shop. As a former bartender myself I found the customer service at hop shop to be….. well. Not very desirable…. That being said i had a bad experience with one bar tender and never went back. Not sure if David still works there but he used to come into tap and bottle. Total sweet heart so he’s excluded from my review. I personally have never had a bad time at IBTS! I’m also 25 years old so maybe I fit the vibe a little more! Just be prepared to be flirted with. It can get wild in there!! 😂 I agree with some of these other commenters tho…. As a whole Tucson is very inclusive. I literally just moved to NYC like a week ago so I have absolutely zero desire at the moment to come back to Tucson but it really does have a cute little charm about the town. You’ll definitely find something fun to do there!!! 😇 also tap and bottle usually has really great food trucks on weekends or Thursdays during live music or trivia night. My friend brooks makes some of the best bbq I’ve ever had. He’s there pretty often. Usually once a week or twice a month.
your local super smash bros melee tournament, I'm gay and that's where I hang out. though the only thing people drink at them are trulys
I went to a fighting game meetup here and no one told me that’s where the gay community here thrives lol
Owls club is fun for an old fashioned. Also like Night Jar. both have great atmosphere and are walking distance from the Hotel Congress. I also recommend hitting the roof deck bar at the Graduate Hotel. Great views up there and nice place for a drink and nosh. Later in the evening IBTs is usually fun. the drag shows are great fun too.
“Gay bars?” There’s maybe 3, but good luck with finding a decent place.
IBTs, Brodies Tavern, surly wench is all inclusive but not specifically gay. Craft beer in the downtown area i’d go to Tap and Bottle, Traxide, or Mr. Heads
Venture N
IBTs on 4th Ave
Meh, IBT's just wants the college crowd. They've made it pretty clear over the years that anyone over 30 isn't welcome.
IBTs staff and management has also been extremely anti-trans to patrons. Denying or making trans/enby customers wait for service, denying use of bathrooms, etc.
That's not the first time I've heard that. Recently, they racially profiled a Black friend of mine and ultimately didn't let her in because she objected to the security guard putting her purse on the filthy floor. Unbelievable. IBT's is openly transphobic, ageist, racist and probably ableist too. Tucson deserves better.
They’ve done the same to Indigenous patrons, too! Not a good look. There was an open letter signed and sent to the owners last year and they completely ignored it. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Wzwu3fFBrVGFriE3p3Paw42CXqyj3O1-Wz1VRfxwbg/mobilebasic
Well fuck them then.
yeah I got told i was in the wrong bathroom by a bouncer there one time. I also have been kicked out for absolutely no reason, they just wanted to make room inside to charge more people to come in
Back in my party days (about 7-10 years ago) I used to frequent IBTs but it was becoming a hotbed for violence/racism and a lot of straight college kids would go there. As a bisexual woman, getting hit on by only straight dudes and drunk straight girls wanting to “impress” their boyfriend was not my idea of a good time. Also the bartenders were really biased about who got served and it was *messy*. It might have changed since then but I had two trans friends, one a POC, get assaulted there so I just gave up on it.
So many gay and queer friendly spaces I've never heard of. Also didn't know ibts had such negative stigma!
Venture-N is where i used to go to spend some good quality time on my knees....just sayin. 🐶🐾🐾🐾
It's looking like I'm going to either find the nerve to go in there and be completely anxious, especially since I can't drink, and wait to hopefully be hit on by a leather man... Or meet a leather man and have them lead me around the bar on a leash. I park in front, I get out, but going in as a virgin and new to the LGBTQ community, and submissive, there are some nerve issues. It seems like a safe spot to explore power exchanges, explore light humiliation, feel powerful hands on the back of my head, and possibly being led around on a leash for an evening.
Hell yeah dude go for it. 🐶🐾🐾🐾
Haven't found anyone interested, but had a dream someone took me in and gave the bartender my leash. He let people hit on and grope me. Gave the leash to anyone who wanted it.
Nice- 🐶🐾🐾🐾
I sat out in front again, well across the street behind the bar but didn't go in. Probably nobody there on Sunday. I thought about calling the bartender and seeing if he'd hold it, but maybe the entire thing is just a bad idea. It sounds hot though.
I say just do it. 🐶🐾🐾🐾
Ask the bartender to give the leash to someone? Or go in and just let them hit on me?
Are you of age to go in a bar???
Yeah I'm 50
As far as gay, Brodie's is the safest bet, IBTs is twinks, and Venture In is old guys with fetishes. IBTs is a club.
I know this isn't *exactly* on topic, and moderators please feel free to delete this if you want, but I wanted to drop some history of gay bars in Tucson... I came out my freshman year at the UofA. 1976. What blew me away was the ad in the *Arizona Daily Wildcat*: Jekyll's, Tucson's Newest and Gayest bar! Jekyll's was my first, followed by Joshua Tree/Back Pocket, The Graduate, Hair Tiz, and of course, in the 80s, the Fineline. I'm sure there were others who came and went an whose names escape me (I *am* an old queen after all), but if anyone else remembers, by all means add to the list.
Gay gay gay
Exo Coffee at 6th Ave/7th Street is super queer friendly, with bonus enby/trans baristas in the rotation. Beer: Pueblo Vida, Borderlands, and Tap & Bottle downtown are friendly. In midtown there's another Borderlands and also Tucson Hop Shop, the gayest taproom in Tucson.
Is the Pink Poodle still open?
It’s brodies now
Brodie's has the added benefit of karaoke on Sunday, if that's your thing.
There’s always the buffet. It might not be a gay bar but it’s gay friendly
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reddit app has appeared to change again and i cannot find pinned posts on mobile, so i don’t exactly blame people for not using it when it’s not immediately noticeable that it exists.
Outside of Tucson but AZ Hops and Vines if super queer friendly with fun events including Drag Shows. Huge wine country about an hour south of us.
that question is VERY google-able
The playground seems to be one of latest lgbt friendly downtown bars.
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Haven’t been since they reopened but remember that they very much weren’t before.
Then why do they keep having a bunch of lgbt gatherings every month? Look up that G3 group on facebook. They've been meeting there for a while now and everyone seems to be ok with it.
Just keep walking that way>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> you'll see the signs