First-ever gay bar in Fairfax County (near D.C.) opens
Sat. January 1, 2011 8:23 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
Herndon, Virginia -
A new gay bar has gone where none has gone before: the suburban community of Fairfax County, Virginia.
The gay bar is the new permutation of a coffee shop called "So Addictive." Managed by a gay man, the coffee shop's weekly drag nights grew so popular, making the place a full-fledged gay bar seemed natural.
The Washington Post said the owner, a Chinese immigrant who is straight, is happy to welcome gay customers.
"I like the unique business opportunity," Dewey Yen said. He insisted on putting rainbow flags on the doors so there would be no mistake, the paper reported.
The Washington Post did talk with several other local business owners who weren't happy to see a gay bar move in.
However, a local gay activist said that a bar might help the fight for equality.
"People might not realize there's a significant gay and lesbian population in the suburbs; everybody assumes we live downtown. But we are everywhere. We are your neighbors, and having a neighborhood bar finally puts a permanent face on that," Sarah Gustafson of Equality Fairfax said.
The gay bar is the new permutation of a coffee shop called "So Addictive." Managed by a gay man, the coffee shop's weekly drag nights grew so popular, making the place a full-fledged gay bar seemed natural.
The Washington Post said the owner, a Chinese immigrant who is straight, is happy to welcome gay customers.
"I like the unique business opportunity," Dewey Yen said. He insisted on putting rainbow flags on the doors so there would be no mistake, the paper reported.
The Washington Post did talk with several other local business owners who weren't happy to see a gay bar move in.
However, a local gay activist said that a bar might help the fight for equality.
"People might not realize there's a significant gay and lesbian population in the suburbs; everybody assumes we live downtown. But we are everywhere. We are your neighbors, and having a neighborhood bar finally puts a permanent face on that," Sarah Gustafson of Equality Fairfax said.