You are reading

Fundraiser to Open New Lesbian Bar in Astoria Being Held Saturday

Kristin “Dave” Dausch is taking over the Heart of Gold bar Saturday and turning it into a pop-up lesbian bar for the evening (Photo: YouTube)

July 21, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

An Astoria resident who is looking to raise money to open a new lesbian bar is holding a fundraising event Saturday.

Kristin “Dave” Dausch is taking over the Heart of Gold bar, located at 37-14 31st Ave., from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. and turning it into a pop-up lesbian bar for the evening to raise funds. The event will be called Dave’s Lesbian Bar, which Dausch says will be the name of the permanent lesbian bar when it opens.

The event will be preceded by an outdoor summer block party featuring live music, tattoo artists and barbers from the queer community. The outdoor event will take place from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. along 31st Avenue – between 37th Street and 38th Street – that will be blocked off.

Dausch, an open mic host and singer, said there are no lesbian bars in Astoria—or Queens for that matter—and wants to create a space where lesbians can meet up. Dausch said that Astoria’s two current gay bars — Icon and Albatross — are mostly frequented by gay men and not by many lesbian women.

“I am a lesbian and I see that there is no representation of my community in the neighborhood and I want to change that,” said Dausch, who has lived in Astoria for around 12 years.

“There aren’t a lot of spaces that cater to the ‘shes’ and ‘theys’ of our community.”

Dausch is aiming to raise $70,000 to open the new permanent lesbian bar in Astoria. The open mic host set up a GoFundMe in late June to bring in donations and has raised nearly $9,000 so far.

Dausch is hoping people will embrace the new lesbian bar concept Saturday and donate to the GoFundMe. Dausch said that attendees are being asked to contribute at least $10 each – adding that similar pop-up event evenings will be held each month in Astoria until the financial goal is met.

Dausch said that Saturday’s event inside Heart Of Gold bar will feature a performance by rapper Goldilocks and queer DJ Dylan Sparkle will be on the decks to play music. The music will end at 11 p.m. but Dausch said that the party will continue until closing time.

“We’re getting rowdy in Astoria!” Dausch said.

There will be a number of queer-led bands performing at the block party beforehand while the Heart of Gold will serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, Dausch said. Dyke Beer, a queer-owned beer company from Brooklyn, will also be on hand to provide some of its exclusive beers to revelers while several local restaurants will be offering to-go food items.

The block party will also feature a mutual aid component. There will be a rack of free clothing provided by the Free Store Astoria and queer-themed books will be given out for free by The Rolling Library.

“This will be the block party of the summer,” Dausch said.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
Dana Romano

I am going to open up a straight and super straight Nightclub. Who would like to chip in and be a founding partner with me?

Reply
Arnold Drummond

If one does not have proper funding to open an establishment then how would one keep it open?

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

The best pumpkin picking patches near New York City

Sep. 7, 2024 By Barbara Russo, Kaitlyn Riggio and New York Family

October is almost here which means it’s that time again to go pumpkin picking. Head to one of these pumpkin picking farms in and near New York City to pick from a variety of gourds, munchkins, and other pumpkins.

South Richmond Hill senior killed after fire breaks out in his illegal basement apartment on Thursday afternoon

A 72-year-old man was killed after a fire engulfed his illegal basement apartment in South Richmond Hill on Thursday afternoon.

The FDNY received a call just after 5 p.m. of a house fire at 94-14 132nd St. Firefighters confirmed the blaze broke out in the basement. The FDNY dispatched 12 units and 60 firefighters and EMS personnel to the scene. Paramedics rescued the 72-year-old victim, and EMS rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short while later.

Woman allegedly choked in Queensboro Hill by robber who snatched her bag containing thousands in cash: NYPD

Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing are looking for a strangler who robbed a 63-year-old woman in Queensboro Hill on the night of Thursday, Aug. 29.

The victim was walking on a residential block near the intersection of Frame Place and Maple Avenue just before midnight, when a stranger approached her and began to choke her. The perpetrator snatched her bag, which contained $6,000 in cash, her wallet and an iPhone.