Gay bars in jackson michigan

By ANDREA POTEET

Hotel rooms were booked. Radio advertisements had aired, and guests from neighboring states were set to attend a highly-anticipated event at Jackson's only gay and lesbian bar last week.
But the event, which was for the Michigan Gay Rodeo Association, was cancelled two weeks before its scheduled date of Jan. 15 when Club Detour unexpectedly closed its doors after six months in business.
Bar manager Frank Hill, who organized the event, said he had no idea the bar was closing until owner Nancy Minix showed up at his door to ask for his put of keys two days after a well-attended New Year's Eve party.
"There was no warning, nothing," Hill said.
Minix said she revamped the club from its original incarnation as a sports bar in July 2010 to meet the needs of the area's gay and lesbian community, but had to seal the club when customer sustain and dollars stopped pouring in.
"The opening night was fantastic," Minix said. "We made a lot of money. But from that day forward it just tumbled down to almost nothing."
Despite earlier opening hours, ever-changing drink a

Pride In Jackson: LGBTQ+ Friendly Spaces & Places

In celebration of Pride month, here are community member Jason McCarty's picks for LGBTQ+-friendly and safe spaces in Jackson.

Nightclubs & Bars

“I would recommend visiting all three of these bars! I’m so grateful that we have safe places for our community to be their most authentic self. Definitely go out and support!”

Restaurants & Coffee Shops

“I’m really proud of the restaurant partnerships that we’ve established over the years. We’re always blown away by and incredibly grateful for the contributions of our Jackson community.”

  • Hal & Mal’s - “Hal & Mal’s was our very first sponsor and where it all began. They were our first home for every Capital City Pride event we had during our first year! A huge thank you to Malcolm White and the team there!”
  • Walker’s Drive-In - “My select for date night!”
  • The Manship - “My favorite spot for a lunch meeting!”
  • Urban Foxes - “We love the staff at Urban Foxes. This is where Capital City Pride holds all of our events to support LGBTQ+ in recovery.”
  • Cups

    #TBTeez

    See the updated list at GayBarchives.com

    FLORIDA:

    Miami/ Fort Lauderdale - Backstreet, Mekka, 13 Buttons, The Copa, Zelda's, Tackys, Club 21, Saint, Marlin Beach, The District, Stud, Jungle, Lefty's, Stanley's, Sugar's, Rooftop Disco, Heartbreaker's, Shangri-La, Jackhammer/Steel, Palace, Fort Dix [WPB], Cupid's [WPB]

    Tampa - Tracks, Chrome, G Bar, Ybor Social Club, Ybor Eagle, KiKiKi III, Radar, Tampa Eagle, Matrix, Parthenon, El Goya, flirt, Rene's Disco, Knotty Pine,  The Male Room, Pleasuredome, Old Plantation, Metropolis, 2606, Valentines, Club Manilla, Keith's Bar, Flings, Lounge 714, Participate, Wranglers, Jungle, Chelsea, Chambers, "Tampa Proud"

    St Petersburg/ Clearwater - Grand Central Station, Sharp A's, Bedrox, "Dirty Bird", Lighted Tree, Christopher Street, Suncoast Resort, Red Devil, Wedgwood, Engine Room, Club Zoo, FLAMINGO RESORT, dt's, Jack's 809

    New Port Richey - Wena's, Cribari, Manilows, Asylum, 

    Key West - Monster Disco, Copa

    Orlando - Peacock Room, Palace Club, Wylde's, SIN

    Daytona B

    Michigan’s Oldest Gay Bar is in Grand Rapids

    Michigan's Oldest Gay Bar is the Apartment Lounge in Grand Rapids, 53 years adj in 2025.

    Over the decades, the bar kept re-locating from place to place. When it opened in 1972, it was located in a building on Lyon Street across from the Vandenberg Center.

    From there it went to the southeast corner of Ionia and Fulton, the northeast corner of Fulton and Monroe (the current B.O.B. Location), to Bridge Street on the West Side, down Bridge for a year, then to Plainfield Ave Northwest. In 1978, they moved to The B.O.B location for 10 years until they moved to their current place on Sheldon Boulevard - site of the former Incredible Edible Cafe' - by 1988.

    According to their web page, referring to back in the day when the Apartment Lounge was located where the B.O.B. is now, “Many regulars have very fond memories of that old place; the urinal trough always filled with ice, to the game room in the back.....It actually contained several pinball machines but there were always other 'games' taking place&#x