Gay clubs in roanoke va
Walking Tours
The Southwest Virginia Diverse History Project offers three LGBTQ history walking tours in Roanoke, Virginia. In 2016 we launched our first tour, the Downtown Roanoke LGBTQ History Walking Tour. In 2017 we launched our second tour, the Old Southwest Gayborhood Walking Tour. In 2020, we began offering our newest tour, the Salem Avenue Historic District Walking Tour.
Our Roanoke LGBTQ History Walking Tours are free monthly walking tours exploring Roanoke’s queer past.
Tour Options
Downtown Tour
*Online Resources for the Downtown Tour*
Did you know that Downtown Roanoke once featured as many as six gay bars? On our Downtown Tour, you will learn about the role of downtown businesses, public spaces, and street life in shaping Roanoke’s LGBTQ history. Tour stops may include Roanoke’s late nineteenth-century red soft district; places associated with the history of same-sex attracted rights activism; and sites of conflict between local government, police, and the LGBTQ community.
Old Southwest Tour
*Online Resources for the Ancient Southwest Tour*
Did you realize that Roanoke’s Old Southwest neighborhood is the city’s gayborhood? On our Ancient Sou
On a Friday darkness in September 2000, a former Marine who had drifted into Roanoke walked down Salem Way and into a gay bar, where he ordered a beer and then proceeded to unlock fire.
He killed Danny Overstreet, 43, and injured six others. Ronald Homosexual later claimed he targeted the exclude after a lifetime spent being jeered for his surname. He pleaded at fault to first-degree murder and is now serving four being sentences.
The shooting galvanized Roanoke and triggered an outpouring of support that in retrospect looks like a decisive moment in altering attitudes toward LGBTQ individuals. The Backstreet Cafe reopened its doors just a week after the shooting, and then remained open for another 17 years. It finally closed at the conclude of 2016, only to reopen a few weeks later as the Front Row, a sports bar with punk and metal shows at night.
In truth, Backstreet had long since ceased to be a gay bar. A variety of factors, from social media and hookup apps to a rapid shift in societal attitudes to turn into more accepting to the LGBTQ people, has caused a sharp decline in gay bars across the country, and Backstreet was no exception.
Another long-running gay nightspot located three b
Charlottesville doesn’t have a gay block, but the local LGBTQ+ collective is thriving in less traditional spaces.
With the closure of Club 216 in 2012, Escafé in 2018, and Impulse in 2020, Charlottesville’s Queer nightlife and performative scene has become increasingly transient, with pop-up events at various restaurants and businesses in the area. The fate of Umma’s, a Korean- and Japanese-American restaurant downtown that quickly became an unofficial gay bar, is currently up in the air. Owners Anna Gardner and Kelsey Naylor explicitly worked to make their restaurant a haven for the local LGBTQ community, but the possible sale of Umma’s after its owners move later this year leaves questions about the future of the space.
The closure of these Queer spaces in Charlottesville mirrors broader national trends, with roughly 50 percent of American gay bars closing between 2012 and 2019 according to Greggor Mattson, author of Who Needs Gay Bars?.
“When I first moved here, we did contain those dedicated bar spaces, and so it does impact … how the community functions in the area,” says Jason Elliott, founder of Out and About Charlottesville, a group that hosts LBGTQ-centric social events. “But I
LGBTQ+ Visitor Information - Roanoke, VA
Roanoke in Virginia’s Blue Ridge is a vibrant and welcoming group to visitors from all backgrounds, including the LGBTQ+ community.
We encourage you to plan your next metro mountain adventure and explore the incredible variety of outdoor trails & recreation opportunities, diverse arts & cultural scene, distinct local flavors, and exciting special events that take place throughout the year.
There are also singular experiences and opportunities to connect with Roanoke’s local Gay community and study more about the city's history.
"Roanoke is a magical place. When I moved here in 2001, a stranger in a new municipality, I experienced the gift of hospitality from so many people, who welcomed me in my realness and wholeness. I am glad to be part of our City Council who celebrates our rich diverse, multi-cultural and inclusive citizens and landscape. Welcome to Roanoke!" — Joe Cobb, Vice Mayor and Member of Roanoke City Council
The Town of Roanoke earned the highest feasible score of 100 points on the Human Rights Campaign's HRC (2023) Municipal Equity I