Lifestyle

8 Reasons Gay Bars Are The Best For Anyone Looking For A Good Time

by Liz Rae
Stocksy

As a straight person, I would rather go to a gay bar than a straight bar.

Let me be clear: I’m not rudely and condescendingly searching for a "gay best friend," and I’m not going there so I don’t get hit on. I just actually prefer gay bars over straight bars.

If you haven’t been to a gay bar, you’re severely missing out. There are many places I love to go to that aren’t so demographically specific, but I’ve always had a great time at gay bars for plenty of different reasons.

These are just general assumptions based on gay bars I have been to, but they encapsulate the few reasons why I’d rather spend my time there:

1. They’re accepting.

I like going to gay bars because I never feel judged there. I can’t tell you how many women at straight bars get catty over petty things.

Nobody has time for that! I love that I can wear whatever I want, be myself and still have an awesome time going out.

I don’t have low self-esteem, but I don’t appreciate how some straight bars tend to attract people who want to go out just to judge other people.

As long as everyone is having fun, gay bars don’t really care about who is there or what they look like.

2. They're risk-takers.

The bar and the people are risky, in a good way. People will literally dress how they want and be whomever they want. It’s amazing.

The more fabulous bars will go all out with their theme nights whereas other bars wouldn’t take the chance. I never know who I’m going to meet there, and it’s such a blessing to know that it will be a totally different experience than the last time I went.

3. They have better prices…

I know this doesn’t apply to every gay bar out there, but the drinks are way better priced at venues I have visited. Any other bar nearby would charge me twice as much for the exact same thing.

4. … And stronger drinks.

Besides the fair pricing, their drinks tend to be stronger. They know that’s what makes their customers return.

If I went to the bar across the street, I’d be lucky if I got a full shot of anything. Gay bar seem to know how to make a drink, and they do so incredibly well.

5. All music goes.

I’ve heard everything from Britney Spears throwbacks to music from countries I can’t pronounce. They don’t play music to please a certain crowd; they play music that encourages a fun time.

Gay bars don’t have to play popular, annoying rap music because they aren't trying to keep up with trends. The music always keeps me guessing.

6. They have the best bar food.

I have yet to go to a gay bar that doesn’t have awesome bar food. From tacos to pizza to grilled cheese sandwiches, they somehow find a way to take a basic, greasy food and make it reasonably priced and amazing. I know that if I go to a gay bar, I won't go home hungry.

7. They push our limits.

Whenever I go to a gay bar, I always find someone who wants me to break out of my comfort zone. Each time I go, someone wants me to dance better, let loose or be happier.

It’s always the most positive experience. Even if I never see the person again, he or she changed my life in one night by asking me to push my happiness to another level.

I always walk out of the bar feeling more confident than I did when I walked in.

8. They’re quaint.

Even if the bar has 12 different rooms and three different floors, gay bars still have a way of making it feel like a small bar. I could easily get lost in one without ever feeling alone.

They exude a homey feeling. This could just be because everyone is so friendly, but either way, I never feel like a stranger in the bar.

No matter what bar it is, gay bars are almost always the best bar to go to. From a crazy party scene to an amazing experience with others, gay bars will always offer a more accepting culture than straight bars.