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LGBTQ+ Bars: A Book-talk

By Karen Bagnard
Posted: 06/01/2026

An exceptionally interesting book-talk was led by Kieran Highsmith on Friday, May 8. The discussion was about the books, Who Needs Gay Bars by Greggor Mattson and Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America by Krista Burton. There were about 18 people in the Village conference room. It was an assortment of Villagers, non-Villagers, gay, straight, old and young.

This discussion brought me to a deeper awareness of how vitally important it is for all of us to feel safe in community. As a straight person, this has been a fairly easy thing for me to find, but what about the others? In learning about LGBTQ+ bars, I realized the need for them to exist. So why have they diminished across the United States?  Is it because we, as a society, now have a greater sense of acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community?

This discussion was most candid, comfortable, and enlightening to me. It made me think about the evolution of our Village. We have a vibrant and gifted group of LGBTQ+ Villagers. While being very integrated into the Village and all its many facets, they also have their own small group (which really isn’t so small any more) called The Village People. They gather monthly for lunch or dinner and sometimes arrange events or outings that welcome allies for all of us to enjoy.

That was not so when I first joined the Village nearly eleven years ago. In 2016, I became chair of the Village Membership Committee and soon after also joined the Inclusivity Committee for which I eventually became chair. At that time there was no active outreach to the LGBTQ+ community, so I decided that would be my focus. I was able to secure an information table at the City of Pasadena’s Big Coming Out Party, organized by the City’s Health Department.

Bob Snodgrass, who was chair of the Inclusivity Committee at that time, and I “manned” the table. It was held in the courtyard of City Hall. There was music and food, drag queens, lots of young people and a few older couples. Bob and I spent time talking with young people who said things like, “I gotta tell my Grandpa about Pasadena Village.”  One teenager told us, “My parents are really old… this would be great for them!”  It was fun and lively.

We also talked with older same sex couples who questioned whether the Pasadena Village was truly welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community. We assured them that we would not be at this event if we were not. While we did not get any direct memberships from that event, we had a presence and that was an important step.

Subsequently, the Village signed up to be a part of the Pasadena Pride Festival at Central Park. The City would provide each vendor with a table and umbrella. To make sure we would be noticed, I crafted a dozen giant tissue flowers in multicolors to display at our table. We were all set to go when an unexpected storm rolled through Pasadena and rained us out.

My next attempt was reaching out to the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ+ Group which brought me in touch with Bruce Christensen. He and I hit it off in our first phone call. Bruce invited me to join the group for their coffee gathering at Michellinda Park. My eyesight is impaired so I do not drive; therefore, I asked Wayne April and Jeff Gutstadt to drive me. They were a new couple who had recently joined the Village. The Village has now opened its doors to host the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ+ coffees.

My hope was to team up our two organizations for mutual benefit. Within a month or two, Bruce joined our Village. He has been the anchor for Men’s Time monthly lunches at Brookside Restaurant and Tech Time, a monthly Apple support group working with iPhones, iPads, fraud literacy, and individual technology guidance. He has also been instrumental in forming the Village People group.

Bruce told me, “Gay men, along with everyone else, need to have a healthy community. I have several communities. I have my long-term work friends and I have a couple of friend social groups. In Pasadena Village, I have found a more diverse community that is different from my other communities. I have found the Village to be a great group of people who live near me and where I can socialize and also offer service. It is nice that Pasadena Village has a diverse accepting culture.”

When I heard that Altadena was going to host their first ever Pride Festival called the “Pride Walkabout,” I suggested that the Village have a booth. It was enthusiastically agreed that we would. The event had a great turnout. Villagers worked our table and enjoyed the activities. That success brought the Village to subsequent Altadena Pride events.

Pasadena Village has two LGBTQ+ staff members and we have hosted many LGBTQ+ events that are open to the community at large. One of those was Kieran Highsmith’s book-talk on May 8. She has also organized the Hope & Healing Supper Club at the Village and more. Our Village has joined ranks with other organizations to bring resources and knowledge to the community.

Patrick Oliva, a dear friend of mine who took his time deciding to join the Village, shared with me, “I love being able to come to any Village event and know that I am accepted and welcomed.”  His partner, Lawrence Yu added, “It’s a place where we can find many resources in the community.”

Wayne April, a key person in building the inclusion of LGBTQ+ members, summed up his thoughts this way:  “Everyone wants to be the ‘Norm’ who is greeted every time he enters the Cheers bar. The Village provides that Cheers bar collegiality and the Village People double down on that familiarity by giving LGBTQ+ members a little group to let their hair down in.”