In 2009, the state became the first to legalize same-sex marriage by legislative action and passed bills protecting LGBTQ+ people against discrimination. In that time, the nature of LGBTQ+ rights and identity in Vermont shifted dramatically. The Rainbow Cattle Company in Dummerston shut down years earlier, and the iconic Andrews Inn in Bellows Falls had faded away decades ago.īut when 135 Pearl announced its closure - the owner cited the struggles of owning a small business - no one knew it would take 15 years to fill the gap it left for LGBTQ+ Vermonters. Shooka Dooka’s in Rutland closed weeks before. In spring 2006, Vermont’s last bar catering to the LGBTQ+ community, Burlington’s 135 Pearl, closed its doors for good. “And we bring that to how we run the space, which I do think makes it different than a lot of other bars in just how it feels inside.” Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Babes isn’t a “queer bar,” or at least it hasn’t marketed itself as such. “But obviously, we're queer folks,” said co-owner Owen Daniel-McCarter, not pictured. Vermont has a new generation of bar owners who are redefining what it means to be a “gay bar,” including Babes Bar in Bethel, shown on Friday, April 1.
