Moby Dyke
An Obsessive Quest To Track Down The Last Remaining Lesbian Bars In America
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A former Rookie contributor and creator of the popular blog Effing Dykes investigates the disappearance of America’s lesbian bars by visiting the last few in existence.
Lesbian bars have always been treasured safe spaces for their customers, providing not only a good time but a shelter from societal alienation and outright persecution. In 1987, there were 206 of them in America. Today, only a couple dozen remain. How and why did this happen? What has been lost—or possibly gained—by such a decline? What transpires when marginalized communities become more accepted and mainstream?
In Moby Dyke, Krista Burton attempts to answer these questions firsthand, venturing on an epic cross-country pilgrimage to the last few remaining dyke bars. Her pilgrimage includes taking in her first drag show since the onset of the pandemic at The Back Door in Bloomington, Indiana; competing in dildo races at Houston’s Pearl Bar; and, despite her deep-seated hatred of karaoke, joining a group serenade at Nashville’s Lipstick Lounge and enjoying the dreaded pastime for the first time in her life. While Burton sets out on the excursion to assess the current state of lesbian bars, she also winds up examining her own personal journey, from coming out to her Mormon parents to recently marrying her husband, a trans man whose presence on the trip underscores the important conversation about who precisely is welcome in certain queer spaces—and how they and their occupants continue to evolve.
Moby Dyke is an insightful and hilarious travelogue that celebrates the kind of community that can only be found in windowless rooms soundtracked by Britney Spears-heavy playlists and illuminated by overhead holiday lights no matter the time of year.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Effing Dykes blogger Burton debuts with a witty cross-country tour of lesbian bars. Eager to reconnect with the queer community after Covid-19 lockdowns, Burton set out in 2021 on a pilgrimage with her trans husband, Davin, to visit the 20 self-identifying lesbian bars (down from 206 in 1987) left in the U.S. (more have since opened). Highlights include Burton's first visit to a drag show since the onset of the pandemic, at the Back Door in Bloomington, Ind.; singing the queer anthem "Goodbye Earl" with dozens of other patrons at the Lipstick Lounge in Nashville, Tenn.; and competing in dildo races at the Pearl Bar in Houston, Tex. Along the way, Burton makes friends, studies lesbian behavior ("My god do we love a spot where we can lean while we stare at each other without engaging"), and discusses reasons for the closure of "dyke bars," including gentrification, the pandemic, and the growing acceptance of the queer community in mainstream culture. In response, the remaining nightspots have become more inclusive of other segments of the LGBTQ community and added indoor slides, Instagram-friendly patios, and other attractions. Throughout, Burton's keen observations and sense of humor are on full display. It adds up to an infectious celebration of the joy and resilience of queer spaces.