Gold Coast was just down the boulevard from West Hollywood’s main drag, but it might as well have been in another world. He remembers when the alley next door was such a popular hookup spot that cars would circle the pavement, occasionally hitting folks cruising for sex. Bob Hastings, the founder of Gold Coast, talks about his bar as if it’s still kicking. Overstreet isn’t the only landlord who’s failed to reach an agreement with commercial tenants during the pandemic, but the resulting closure of beloved and historic queer spaces has rattled longtime customers and the wider LGBTQ+ community in L.A., leading to existential questions about what post-pandemic nightlife will look like - especially for marginalized queer people.įor bar owners, the past year has been dizzying. He declined multiple interview requests from them. Reached over the phone, Overstreet refused to comment on his business dealings with Barnes and other bar proprietors but said it was “untrue” that he wasn’t willing to work with them. The owners of three other queer clubs, in buildings owned by Overstreet, also announced that that were shutting down after being unable to make rent.
to close permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oil Can Harry’s is one of a number of queer establishments in L.A. I can’t stop thinking: ‘When am I going to see my friends again?’”
“It’s hard for me to talk about it without getting emotional. When Bowerman read the news, his heart sank. “Thank you all for this beautiful gift that we all shared for 52 years,” he added. In another post, Fagan said that “the property was sold out from under me.” Fagan did not elaborate further on what happened and did not respond to messages from them.
“I fought hard to keep it but just had to give up!!” Fagan wrote in a Facebook post announcing the news. After sitting vacant, owner John Fagan announced in January 2021 that the club was closing permanently because Monte Overstreet, who owns commercial properties all over the L.A. The two-stepping came to a screeching halt when the pandemic hit last March.