Share
Beers with Queers A True Crime Podcast
178. The History & Importance of Queer Bars In America Ft Cruising Pod
For generations of LGBTQ+ Americans, a simple night out could mean a huge risk. But the local gay bar offered safety, community, resistance, and eventually revolution.
Long before Pride parades and marriage equality, queer bars were the beating heart of LGBTQ life in America. Hidden behind unmarked doors and dim neon lights, these spaces offered something the outside world often refused: safety, connection, and the freedom to exist. From underground gatherings in the 1800s to legendary spaces like the Stonewall Inn, queer bars became sanctuaries where community was built and where history was made.
In this episode of Beers With Queers, we’re joined by the hosts of Cruising Podcast, Rachel Karp and Sarah Gabrielli to explore the powerful history and cultural importance of queer bars across the United States. Together we explore why these bars were never just nightlife, but a lifeline. We discuss the decline of not only the number of gay bars in the US but the lack of dependency of them in the digital age. We also discuss Cruising Podcast's amazing 10K, one month road trip across America to visit each of the 25 lesbian bars left in the country as well their new book The Lesbian Bar Chronicles coming to anywhere you buy books May 2026.
Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers brings chilling crimes, queer stories, and twisted justice to light—all with a cold one in hand.
Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we uncover the darkest corners of LGBTQ+ history.
From the Cruising website: https://www.cruisingpod.com/
CRUISING PODCAST SEASON 1 (2021-2022):
3 queer women, 1 Honda SUV, and the last lesbian bars in America. In 2021 there were less than 25 of these spaces left in the country. Season 1 of Cruising follows creators Sarah Gabrielli, Rachel Karp, and Jen McGinity on a cross-country road trip to visit each of these bars. Through interviews with staff, owners, and community members, Cruising tells the stories of the humans that own these bars and the humans that call them a home.
CRUISING PODCAST SEASON 2 (2023-2024):
Since Cruising launched in 2021, EIGHT new lesbian bars have opened across the country. In Season 2, Cruising takes listeners to each of these new bars and travels back in time to explore lesbian bars of decades past. From 1930s San Francisco to 1990s New Orleans to present day Chicago, Season 2 brings even more stories from the humans that call these spaces home.
CRUISING PODCAST SEASON 3 (2025-present):
In Season 3, host Sarah Gabrielli sits down with history-making lesbians and LGBTQ+ folks to discuss all kinds of queer spaces — from bookstores to farms to peace encampments and more!
Cruising is deeply committed to honest and unbiased journalism.
WHO IS CRUISING PODCAST FOR?
Cruising is a podcast for everyone. We are a TERF-free, anti-racist zone. We have zero-tolerance for transphobia and racism. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary people. Gender is a spectrum.
WHAT IS A LESBIAN BAR?
Our working definition of “lesbian bar” is: a space that is created by and for queer folks of historically + presently marginalized genders.
More episodes
View all episodes
202. 202. Remembering the Queer Heroes and Voices of 9/11
36:53||Ep. 202A day that changed the world and some of the queer lives caught in its path.Twenty-five years after 9/11, we remember several LGBTQ+ victims whose stories deserve to be told. From longtime partners denied recognition after their loved ones died, to a gay Catholic FDNY chaplain who ran into the chaos to help others, and an openly gay passenger aboard United 93 who helped fight back, these are stories of love, loss, courage, and queer history. In this episode we look beyond the headlines and remember the people behind one of the darkest days in American history.Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers brings true crime with a queer perspective, forgotten LGBTQ+ stories, and queer history to light, all with a cold one in hand. Press play, grab a drink, and remember the lives behind the tragedy.200. 200. The Atlanta Child Murders - One Of The Most Controversial Crime Sprees In American History
36:27||Ep. 200Atlanta was losing its children and nobody seemed to be listening. As bodies piled up, grieving families demanded answers while police dismissed disappearances as runaways and insisted the murders weren’t connected.From 1979 to 1981, dozens of Black children and young people vanished from Atlanta and turned up dead, creating one of the darkest and most controversial crime sprees in American history. In Part One of our coverage of the Atlanta Child Murders, we examine the racism, poverty, and institutional failures surrounding the investigation and the growing panic that someone was hunting Atlanta’s children. As the FBI enters the case and the murders continue, troubling questions begin to emerge about who was responsible and whether every victim truly belonged to the same killer.Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers brings chilling crimes, queer history, and twisted justice to light, all with a cold one in hand. Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we descend into one of the most disturbing chapters in Atlanta’s history.199. 199. The Murder of Steen Fenrich At The Hands Of His Stepfather
34:33||Ep. 199He escaped a home where hatred had made him a prisoner. At just 19 years old, Steen Fenrich had finally built a life where he could be himself, until one desperate moment sent him back to the family he had spent years trying to escape.In 1999, being young, Black, and gay meant navigating a world where racism and homophobia could follow you everywhere, even into your own home. Steen had fought his way toward independence, but when a painful breakup left him vulnerable and needing somewhere to stay, he turned to his family for help. What followed was a devastating betrayal that would expose the horrifying consequences of hatred directed at someone simply for being who they were.In this episode of Beers With Queers, we explore the murder of Steen Fenrich, the disturbing circumstances surrounding the discovery of his remains, and the investigation that followed. More than a shocking true crime case, Steen's story forces us to confront the dangers faced by queer people of color and the terrifying reality that, sometimes, the greatest threat isn't a stranger, it's someone inside your own family.Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers brings chilling crimes, queer history, and twisted justice to light from a true crime perspective that puts LGBTQ+ stories where they belong: at the center. Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we remember Steen and uncover the story behind one of the most heartbreaking cases in queer true crime.197. 197. Michelle Kosilek And The Murder Of Cheryl McCaul
40:01||Ep. 197A brutal murder. A controversial identity. And a legal battle that would capture the nation’s attention.In 1990, Cheryl McCaul was found murdered inside her car in Massachusetts, launching an investigation that would quickly point toward someone close to her. But the case became far more complicated when the accused, Michelle Lynne Kosilek, came out as transgender and began fighting for access to gender-affirming care while incarcerated. As the murder trial collided with questions of gender identity, mental health, prisoners’ rights, and LGBTQ+ history, the case became a lightning rod for debate that continues decades later.Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers explores this deeply controversial true crime case through a queer perspective. Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we unpack the murder of Cheryl McCaul and the complicated story of Michelle Kosilek.196. 196. Alice Mitchell And The Tragic Murder of Freda Ward
32:35||Ep. 196A forbidden love. A desperate plan. And a murder that would forever change how America viewed queer women.In 1892 Memphis, Tennessee, Alice Mitchell and Freda Ward dreamed of escaping a society determined to keep them apart. Their secret romance, an audacious plan to live together as husband and wife, and the crushing weight of Victorian expectations set the stage for one of the earliest documented same-sex murder cases in American history. In this episode, we explore a tragic chapter of queer history that exposed prejudice, obsession, and the devastating consequences of intolerance, while uncovering a case that helped shape harmful stereotypes still felt today. It's a chilling story of love, betrayal, and violence through the lens of a true crime with a queer perspective.Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers uncovers chilling crimes, forgotten queer history, and the darkest moments of LGBTQ+ history, all with a cold one in hand. Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we revisit one of America's earliest and most haunting LGBTQ+ true crime cases.195. 195. Donald Miller Hollywood's Forgotten Serial Killer
30:36||Ep. 195A killer stalked the neon glow of Hollywood's gay bars. For years, his victims were overlooked, their stories nearly erased. In a city of bright lights, a forgotten serial predator found the perfect place to hide.In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Los Angeles' queer nightlife was booming—but beneath the celebration lurked a brutal predator. Donald Miller preyed on gay men, exploiting a time when violence against the LGBTQ+ community was too often ignored or dismissed. In this episode, Jordi and Brad uncover one of the most forgotten chapters in queer history, piecing together a chilling series of attacks that exposed systemic indifference, fear, and injustice. This LGBTQ+ true crime podcast explores a haunting gay serial killer case through a queer perspective, honoring victims whose names deserve to be remembered while examining why this devastating story faded from public memory.Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers brings chilling crimes, queer stories, and twisted justice to light, all with a cold one in hand.Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we uncover one of Hollywood's darkest forgotten crimes—and ensure these victims are never forgotten again.194. 194. Michael Lupo The Wolfman Of London
32:04||Ep. 194A city gripped by fear. A killer hiding in plain sight. And a deadly wave of misinformation that turned an epidemic into a hunting ground.As HIV/AIDS spread across Britain in the mid-1980s, London's LGBTQ+ community found itself fighting on two fronts, against a devastating virus and against the hatred it fueled. When gay men began disappearing after nights out in London's most popular queer bars, police initially dismissed the murders as isolated incidents. But as the bodies continued to pile up, a horrifying pattern emerged. This episode of Beers With Queers explores the chilling case of Michael Lupo, the so-called "Wolfman of London," whose murderous crusade was fueled by fear, homophobia, and the misinformation surrounding the AIDS crisis. It's a haunting chapter of queer history that reveals how prejudice can become just as deadly as the disease itself, making this a powerful story for anyone interested in LGBTQ+ true crime, queer history, and true crime with a queer perspective.Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers uncovers chilling crimes, forgotten queer stories, and the injustices history tried to bury, all with a cold one in hand. Grab a drink, press play, and join us as we shine a light on one of the darkest and most overlooked chapters in LGBTQ+ history.