Lesbian Bar Legend Elaine Romagnoli Passes, Queer Spaces Die With Her

Pieces, The Monster, Barracuda Bar, The Cock. These are all names you may have heard thrown around if you were ever planning on having a night out at some of New York City’s gay bars. Although the presence of gay bars and queer spaces as a whole has rapidly declined since the 80’s lesbian bars in specific have taken a major blow. Once at two hundred nationwide, only 16 lesbian bars remain open in the United States. Elaine Romagnoli, LGBTQ+ activist and founder of the first lesbian nightclub in New York City passed away this past October at 79 in her Manhattan home. No cause of death was specified upon confirmation with her nephew, Michael Berkowitz, according to The New York Times.

Romagnoli was a quick-witted, kind, activist and businesswoman who curated a unique space for members of the LGBTQ+ community. In 1972, she opened Bonnie & Clydes, the first lesbian nightclub in New York City. A two-story venue with both a bar and restaurant, featuring an all-female staff and women-centered decor. Women who were members of the Gay Activist Alliance Firehouse often met up there after their weekly meetings for drinks, parties, and art installations.

Romagnoli threw a plethora of fundraisers in support of AIDS/HIV research and other LGBTQ+ centered activism. On top of this, she provided a safe space for queer individuals both in and out of the closet. She was said to have worked with an array of popular names during the time such as Tom Duane (the first openly gay member of the New York State Senate), Gloria Steinem, Yoko Ono, and many more. Her other two lesbian bars — Cubby Hole and Crazy Nanny’s — were conceived in the following years.

Romagnoli was respectful of all people despite their race or gender identity. She was declared ahead of her time by many of her peers, ensuring that the space was welcoming for both cisgender and non-cisgender women as well as women of color. Stormé DeLavarie, a Black butch lesbian woman who was rumored to have thrown the first punch at the Stonewall Riot in 1969, served as a bouncer for Cubby Hole in 1986. Romagnoli’s mindfulness is applaudable due to how often the impact that Black transgender women had on the Gay Rights Movement is overlooked.

Romagnoli was an active owner and entrepreneur from 1972 up until 2004 when she retired, her businesses retiring with her. Henrietta Hudson, another lesbian bar, took over Cubby Hole’s old location, and with Romagnoli’s blessing, another Cubbyhole opened in West Village on West 12th Street in 2007.

When asked about their thoughts on Romagnoli’s death and the decline of gay/lesbian bars and queer spaces, Cathryn Caldarola (they/them), a sophomore Psychology major and Queer Leader in the LGBTQ+ Center at Pace University felt “extremely saddened to hear about Romagnoli’s passing. As the acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals grow, the number of non-queer people infiltrating once strictly queer spaces grows with it.”

“In the past, gay bars were one of the only spaces LGBTQ+ people, specifically gay men, were able to relax, feel safe, and mingle with fellow queer people. Now any gay bar you walk into will always have a significant amount of straight people. Not only does that convolute queer spaces, but it also discourages queer people from attending because they aren’t being offered the solely queer space they were promised. This, along with lingering homophobia still running rampant and the COVID-19 pandemic, furthers the death of queer spaces.”

It’s a hard topic to tackle in regards to how welcome non-queer individuals are in queer curated spaces. The intersectionality of being both a woman and queer person myself often gets in the way. A while back when I was “straight,” I would have wanted to attend gay bars with my primarily gay friend group to avoid feelings of exclusion. As a woman, I also understand the appeal to flock to gay bars due to the safe environment they foster in comparison to straight, male-dominated spaces. Yet, I also understand the unique comfort that queer people experience when surrounded by other queer individuals.

“Lesbian bars are already endangered and with the death of Ramognoli, a piece of lesbian legacy and culture dies with her. It makes me sad, as a young lesbian, that I may never get to experience a lesbian bar if they keep closing. The need for the presence of queer spaces is just as important today as it was back in the 80s, and I hope more people start to realize that.”

What the future holds for queer spaces we don’t yet know, but in the meantime, it is essential that we pay special attention to LGBTQ+ history and queer activists before our time — especially lesbians and Black trans women. Their sacrifice and hard work allow queer individuals to have the rights we do today, as well as continue to fight for the rights we don’t already have.

Rest in peace Elaine Romagnoli — you will not be forgotten.