"Some people get a little salty about it," Hoyt, of the North Side, said recently as he surveyed the Sweatin' dance floor, his arm around a young woman. Only occasionally does the uncertainty pose a problem, said Tony Hoyt, a 21-year-old who has fielded advances from men. Pretty girls sport short vintage dresses and pixie haircuts. Slim guys are clad in tight jeans and V-neck American Apparel T-shirts. Of course, when stylish crowds merge, discerning who's gay and who's straight might become difficult. That's so outdated."Įven places that don't align themselves with a particular sexual preference are attracting a mixed patronage, such as the neon-clad masses of "Ladies '80s" nights at Skully's Music-Diner and the urban imbibers at Bristol Bar. "There's no ad out there saying Union is a gay bar. "We've always made it a point to market to the general crowd," said Lahoti, a real-estate developer, 38, who also owns the Axis and Havana nightclubs. Union owner Rajesh Lahoti designed the restaurant, he said, with a broad focus, seeking brunch groups and business lunches by day and gay patrons and High Street club-goers by night.Ī video jockey plays show tunes on Sunday evenings drag queens give performances periodically. "If you get hit on by a gay guy, it means you're hot." "It's just another bar - but with more dudes," concurred his friend Mike Deaton, a 28-year-old in town from Toledo. "It's good to experience something different." "I go to straight bars all the time and help them pick up girls, so why not?" said Davis, 24. The four heterosexual pals accompanying Jon Davis of Gahanna didn't mind the change of scenery last Saturday night at Union Bar + Food, an upscale Short North lounge that draws a predominantly gay crowd in the evening. "They don't necessarily care about going to a gay bar as much as going to a bar with their friends." "I think we're seeing the post-Ellen (DeGeneres) generation: They've been growing up in a community that's always been mixed to some degree," said Chris Hayes, editor in chief of Outlook Weekly, a Columbus gay newspaper. More people, from straight couples who join gay friends to single women who want to clink cocktails without the "meat-market" overtones, seem to be venturing into a once-segregated scene. It's just people who want to have a good time."Īs younger generations benefit from increasingly diverse peer groups, night-life options that welcome all persuasions are prospering. This month, Axis hosted Sweatin' - a high-energy, agenda-free party that attracts gay and straight patrons interested in dancing, socializing and, perhaps, looking for a fling.Īs for the gay-friendly location: "Nobody seems to think about it," said Harris, a 24-year-old who lives near Ohio State University. They move together closely for a few songs, his hands on her hips.ĭespite the setting, with drag shows and male revues of "hot college jocks" making up part of the weekly schedule, a heterosexual presence (or even a pairing) isn't so strange anymore. Through smoke from a fog machine, she leads Peters to the floor. "Hey, are you guys gay?" she asks matter-of-factly.īoth shake their heads: They're straight. Winning accolades and awards from Best Dance Club, Best Gay Bar, Premier Show Club, Masque quickly established itself as “the midwest gay bar.Seated in a dimly lighted booth at Axis, a gay nightclub in the Short North, Jordan Harris and John Peters sip cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon as nearby speakers blast techno music. They’ve hosted a variety of shows and events ranging from Male Revues, drag shows, open stages, college nights, and karaoke nights. Drawing crowds from across the midwest, with a state of the art showroom on the first floor and the second floor open dance hall with speakers and advanced lighting systems that take up the entire level. THANK YOU ALL….IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING 15 YEARS HOPEFULLY TO BE CONTINUED TO A NEW VENUE!!!!!Ĭlub Masque opened 15 years ago and blew away the standard for Gay Bars. THIS NEW LOCATION WILL HOPEFULLY BE IN DAYTON,BUT WE ARE OPEN TO MOVING IT TO A NEW CITY. ANY REALTORS OR BUILDING OWNERS THAT THINK MASQUE MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT LET US KNOW. WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR A NEW LOCATION. LEVEL 2 LAST DAY WILL BE JANUARY 18TH…….LEVEL 1 LAST DAY WILL BE JANUARY 25TH…….I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE WONDERFUL STAFF,ENTERTAINERS, AND AMAZING CUSTOMERS WE HAVE HAD OVER THE YEARS.
Woke up this morning to a most distressing message posted by Luke Liakos, owner of Club Masque:ĭUE TO MASQUE NOT BEING ABLE TO NEGOTIATE A REASONABLE LEASE OR PURCHASE OF THE BUILDING WE WILL BE CLOSING THE VENUE….