Gay Bar Sanctuary

It was in a gay dance club in El Paso 18 years ago where I felt for a moment I wasnt different. it was hard coming out years ago would be an understatement. It was the culmination of many small, yet significant moments that pieced that it together. And like many, the biggest part was feeling like I wasn’t not alone or different that ultimately lead to being comfortable with my identity.Growing up in southern New Mexico many years ago, there aren’t a ton of places for a young gay man go where they feel like they belong or can start to realize he’s not different.

For me, it was the OP, a gay dance club among warehouses in downtown El Paso. Seventeen years ago, I remember walking in and feeling like it was ok to be gay. I felt safe, I felt open, I felt free. After 36 years, the OP closed in 2012, and until I moved away 12 years ago, I credit the OP as the safe haven where many of us went to.

Today I’m horrified by the news that an Orlando gay club was the site of the massacre that claimed the lives of 50 people. This isn’t only because this yet another act of senseless violence that leads to zero meaningful action on gun control- but because this invades and destroys a sanctuary for many. It hurts to think about what has been taken from them.

This month we celebrate Pride, and while we celebrate all that the LGBT community has fought for over the decades, we now must morn the lost of those who were victims today. But we also need to proclaim that despite those wins, we have much to still fight for. And unlike decades ago, we have many more in support and advocate for the LGBT community. We have to continue to create and protect places for for those searching for their confidence to never feel different and alone.