Houstonโs only lesbian bar Pearl Bar will stay in business thanks to the โQueer to Stayโ business grant
HOUSTON โ Houstonโs only lesbian bar is now a recipient of a grant that will allow them to stay in business. In a news release Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), in partnership with SHOWTIME announced Pearl Bar and several other bars in the U.S. as recipients of the โQueer to Stay" grant, which supports LGBTQ+ businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. โIt has been a hard road getting through this, but between our community and this โQueer to Stayโ initiative, we are excited to open slowly starting this weekend,โ Pearl Bar said on its Instagram account on Tuesday. As businesses are widely affected by the pandemic due to events such as Pride Month being canceled, widespread revenue losses were reported. โWe deserve to spend our money where we are treated with respect and welcomed from the moment we walk in the door," said bar owner Julie Mabry in a statement.