Gay Bar: Why We Went Out

Jeremy Atherton Lin examines the history and cultural significance of gay bars as they close at increasing rates worldwide. The book explores what these spaces have meant to queer communities—places of solidarity, sexual expression, and identity formation. Through a transatlantic journey visiting bars, clubs, pubs, and dives that shaped his own life, Lin traces queer history across decades and locations. He moves from Hollywood in the 1970s to cruising tunnels beneath 1770s London, from post-AIDS establishments to contemporary queer spaces, documenting police raids, riots, and personal encounters. The work investigates the relationship between physical space and identity, moving beyond simplified Stonewall narratives to explore lesser-known sites of struggle. Lin combines critical analysis with personal reflection, examining what may be lost as gay bars disappear and what their closure might mean for queer identity itself. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, the book was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, NPR, Vogue, Gay Times, Artforum, and others.