Famous Lesbian Bar To Close

The Palms, the famed lesbian bar in West Hollywood, Calif., will close its doors June 9 after 48 years of business. 

The LA Weekly reports that after several turnovers of property management, the lease for the Palms finally ended; the bar had been open on a month-to-month lease but most expected that its time would run out. "We have been waiting for 10 years for this letter to come to tell us we only had 30 days left," said Shawn White, the events coordinator for the bar to the LA Weekly. 

Still, the bar threw an all-out farewell party, which many said was an ode the last lesbian bar in the area; bars like the Normandie Room and Girl Bar,have gone out of business and the Palms is just following suit. "The closing of the Palms signifies more than just the demise of a girl bar — it's the death of a beloved grandmother," wrote Michael Ciracio. "Sure, her visage is weathered, but her memories are full of wild adventures and taboo anecdotes." The current management has said that they may seek a new location for the Palms, but that society has evolved past the need for a lesbian-only bar. "I don't think lesbians need a bar for themselves, but it's always nice to have that place where you know they'll be like persons there to accept you know matter what," said White.