Gay bars bloomington indiana
LGBTQ Community
"Whether you're lgbtq+, straight, or somewhere in between, Bloomington offers something rarely found in this country: a little town with a bold history of openness and acceptance." — Out Traveler Magazine
Bloomington isn't quite like every other town in Indiana or the Midwest. We accept people for who they are, and we welcome them with reveal arms as they become who they want to be. Home to Indiana University, Bloomington attracts students and faculty from around the world, which makes our people rich with customs and acceptance. The university scored a 5-out-of-5 on Campus Pride’s Best of the Best list for LGBTQ+ colleges and universities, and also ranked fourth nationwide for the Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ students. Bloomington has also been given a flawless 100-point score on the Human Rights Commission's Municipal Equality Index for the ninth vertical year.
Everyone is welcome, whether it's for a day, for four years, or for a lifetime. You'll find typical small-town things to view and do, but you'll also detect some atypical things like PrideFest, The Back Door, and
Perfect Name For a Gay Bar.
There was a gay bar in my college town called Bullwinkle’s. I have no thought why it was called that. It played loud tune, and had a DJ on the weekends (a loop on weekdays), except Tuesdays. Tuesdays were “special” nights that rotated through the month. One overnight was amateur band night for a while, one darkness was drag darkness, one night was amateur DJ night.
Anyway, it had a really good gyrate floor that dated to the disco era, when it was a general disco bar, which is why it has a excellent sound system. It also had pool tables an a pinball machine, and a few sit-down tables, but dancing was the “thing” there. It was so popular for dancing, and the DJ’s apparently so good (I’m not big on dancing), that on Friday and Saturday bedtime a lot of straight couples would go there for the dance floor.
Bullwinkle’s had no meal service. It had strong, expensive drinks, a huge variety of beers, and lots of events. EVERYONE in town knew where and what Bullwinkle’s was. Average age of someone in Bullwinkle’s was about 26.
So, about four blocks away, a sedate gay bar opened. No music, unless someone played the vintage jukebox filled with 45s. It served so
Indy Pride weekend is here - where's the afterparty?
Across the municipality, the queer community has historically utilized bars and event spaces as life-saving sanctuaries for self-expression. There’s a little something for everyone!
Photo: Metro Nightclub
Metro Nightclub & Restaurant
Mass Ave | 707 Massachusetts Ave
Located right on Mass Ave, Metro offers great food, dancing, and outdoor seating. Pregame your night out with a gnaw to eat or dance all night until the lights approach on, either way the musics great so you'll never contain a bad time.
Photo: Tini
Tini
Mass Ave | 717 Massachusetts Ave
Metro's next-door neighbor is also an Diverse nightclub called Tini! With a slightly smaller downstairs bar and dance floor upstairs, the chances of running into your former spouse here triples.
Downtown Olly's
Downtown | 822 N Illinois St.
Downtown Olly's used to be open 24/7, but now you can enjoy it from 7AM - 3AM daily. Their patio is the detect to be in June with events going on all the time!
Photo: Visit Indy
Gregs
Herron Morton | 231 E 16th St.
Gregs is a Stalwart gay bar with outdoor seating, entertainment,
The Bistro's 'Momma' crafts a safe space for LGBTQ people — one cocktail at a hour
Jan Lancaster is a business owner, a society organizer — and soon-to-be History Maker.
But to many in Bloomington-Normal, she is simply known as "Momma.”
Lancaster joins the 2024 class of McLean County History Makers with Julie and Bob Dobski, John Penn and Barb and Bob Hathway.
That she is counted among McLean County’s greatest citizens is perhaps the greatest testament to Lancaster's work.
“You wouldn’t think they’d give this award to someone that says f*** as much as I do,” Lancaster said from her perch at the end of The Bistro’s long bar.
“I felt very honored and humbled to be considered,” she said. “It’s really been thrilling, and I’ve enjoyed this journey. I’m very haughty of what we’ve done here.”
Lancaster grew up in Normal. Like many of her peers, she got married at 18 and had two children shortly after that.
But Lancaster’s animation has been anything but ordinary. She worked for Johnny Martin Chevrolet, then for the Music Shoppe, and enjoyed letting off steam at the bars and pubs in downtown Bloomington. In the prior 1990s, Lancaster found a new spot to h