Throughout June, 草莓传媒 is celebrating Pride and recognizing and honoring the rich history and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community in the region.
Most members of the LGBTQ+ community have had that aha moment when they realize they are not alone.
Long before pride festivals, dating apps and same-sex marriage, the gay bar was where queer people found community.
According to a report from the , D.C. has the highest percentage of queer people of any other city in the country. One of the stewards of gay nightlife is Ed Bailey.
For nearly forty years, Bailey and his business partner John Guggemos have been responsible for D.C.鈥檚 biggest gay nightclubs.
If you mention Trumpets, Cobalt, Ozone, Millennium, which was a Saturday night party at 9:30, Nation, Halo, Town, Number Nine, and Trade to members of most of D.C.鈥檚 gay community, they will smile, laugh or shake their heads at the nights they spent dancing, drinking and making new friends.
It鈥檚 a feeling that Bailey understands, because he also had that aha moment at the age of 17 when he walked into the for the first time.
鈥淚鈥檇 never seen anything like it,” Bailey said. 鈥淭here’s literally thousands of people, and I’m overwhelmed and overjoyed and freaked out and excited and everyone having such a good time.鈥�
That self-described life-changing moment for Bailey caused him to devote his life to creating life-changing moments for generations of people, which started for him as a club DJ at Tracks.
鈥淭here is no replacing experiencing being in a room of people who are all looking for a sense of belonging or community, or just validation of being who they are,鈥� Bailey said. 鈥淚t is the reason I keep doing this.鈥�
Bailey believes every night when Number Nine and Trade open their doors, someone鈥檚 life is 鈥渉elped by being around people who make them feel better about who they are.鈥�
Obviously, as times have changed and society has become more open, gay bars and clubs have evolved too, but their core purpose has not.
鈥淚t just means everything around us is starting to catch up with kind of just chilling out and being more human about it,鈥� Bailey said. 鈥淭here are people in segments of our community today that need this space more than they’ve ever needed it.鈥�
And that doesn鈥檛 mean these spaces are less necessary. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e just as necessary,鈥� he said.
What鈥檚 happening is that everything around them is finally catching up 鈥� 鈥渃hilling out and being more human about it,鈥� Bailey said.
He has also watched who comes through the doors change. He said that more straight people show up now.
鈥淪traight women specifically don鈥檛 want to go to bars and get hit on and deal with that,鈥� Bailey said. 鈥淐an I just go and have a good time and dance and actually have a drink and not worry that I may be a little tipsy and have to watch out for myself.鈥�
Also, the energy in queer spaces is also something that Bailey believes attracts non-LGBTQ+ people to visit.
He said the energy in queer spaces feels different than what many people experience in straight bars.
鈥淭here’s more fun being had. It鈥檚 a more light鈥慼earted atmosphere,鈥� Bailey said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more of an experience.鈥�
鈥淚t’s more of a like we’re all here to have a good time feeling, which is not always the way it works in the straight world,鈥� Bailey explained.
As Bailey sat outside Trade D.C. and watched as staff got the club decorated for Pride he admitted he has a list on his phone of at least 100 names for potential nightclubs and bars.
He tells everyone that Number Nine, which got its name from behind his and Guggemos鈥� ninth club, will be his last.
鈥淚 don’t even believe it, but that’s what I say,鈥� Bailey said with a smile.
The knowing smile of someone who knows that the party must go on.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2026 草莓传媒. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
