Houston’s only lesbian bar Pearl Bar will stay in business thanks to the “Queer to Stay” business grant
HOUSTON – Houston’s 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 “Queer to Stay" grant, which supports LGBTQ+ businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It has been a hard road getting through this, but between our community and this ‘Queer to Stay’ initiative, we are excited to open slowly starting this weekend,” 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. “We 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.