On October 31st, Canvas bid adieu to Church Street, where the quintessential queer space served an eclectic crew of Nashville’s alphabet mafia for the past 11 years. These are seven spots you won’t want to miss. Each offers something unique - be it Cheers-style camaraderie or high-level drag - making it worth exploring as much of the scene as possible. A few of the city’s low-key queer haunts are further afield, so plan on driving or taking a ride share if you want to see them all. Today, you’ll find most LGBTQ+ establishments split between artsy East Nashville and the 1500 block of Church Street, located north of Music Row. A historical marker on Commerce Street and 7th Avenue memorializes their now-demolished buildings. The city’s first two recorded gay bars - the Jungle and Juanita’s - opened in Downtown Nashville in the 1950s, where they served as havens for LGBTQ+ Nashvillians until the early 1980s. And yet queer culture here is more vibrant than Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, with a patchwork of gay bars, clubs, and cafes around town and a history dating back nearly a century. This is Music City - a party town famous for its honky-tonk style and country music stars built around an art form that historically celebrates a straight, Christian crew of boot scooters. Nashville might not immediately conjure images of queer life.
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