In Celebration of PRIDE 2021, Sponsored by Jägermeister, The Lesbian Bar Project is Raising Awareness for Lesbian Bars and LGBTQIA+ Safe Spaces as Part of the #SaveTheNight Initiative

NEW YORK, NY (May 19, 2021) — Following the success of The Lesbian Bar Project PSA and fundraising campaign in 2020, The Lesbian Bar Project and Jägermeister’s #savethenight initiative will premiere a documentary short that aims to bring greater awareness to the remaining lesbian bars across the country. Timed to PRIDE 2021, “The Lesbian Bar Project” documentary will have its online world premiere Thursday, June 3 on Jägermeister’s Global YouTube.

In the 1980s there were roughly 200 lesbian bars in the U.S., today that number is fewer than 25. As the bars continue to disappear at a staggering rate, Co-Directors Erica Rose and Elina Street established The Lesbian Bar Project, a promotional campaign dedicated to celebrating, supporting and preserving the remaining lesbian bars that exist in the United States. The Lesbian Bar Project seeks to promote and restore these vital queer establishments helping them not only survive but thrive in a post-pandemic landscape, sponsored by Jägermeister’s global #savethenight initiative.

Executive produced by Lea DeLaria (“Orange is the New Black”) and co-directed by Erica Rose and Elina Street, the documentary short spotlights the bar owners, community activists, archivists, and patrons in three cities (New York, NY; Mobile, AL; and Washington, DC) and their struggles during the pandemic, their hopes for the future, and the impact on their communities.

“As we enter a post-pandemic era, we want to continue to spotlight the unique challenges lesbian bars face as they seek to not only reopen, but prosper,” said Erica Rose, Co-Director of The Lesbian Bar Project. “We experienced immense support when The Lesbian Bar project was launched in partnership with Jägermeister in 2020, and with the new documentary, we hope to bolster and help revitalize these vital queer establishments in a new way.”

“We aim to tell the personal stories of the lesbian bar owners, patrons and community activists who have been working tirelessly to save the sacred spaces in their local communities over the past year,” said Elina Street Co-Director of Lesbian Bar Project. “The documentary spotlights their hopes for the future, but also takes a look back at the safe spaces that influenced the queer community throughout history.”

“We are honored to continue our work with The Lesbian Bar Project and support the new phase of the campaign that is illuminating the urgency and importance of preserving LGBTQIA+ establishments,” said Olivia O’Leary, National Manager of Culture, Content & Experiential Marketing at Mast-Jägermeister US. “The documentary is a compelling look into the work being done to bring awareness to these spaces and preserve these bars for years to come.”

Jägermeister is a proud supporter of nightlife and the artists, creatives and bartenders who have worked tirelessly to support it. At the start of the pandemic, Jägermeister knew the negative impact it would have on these communities. As a result, Jägermeister launched its Save The Night program which has included various charity initiatives to raise money for those whose passion, skill and hard work fuel and inspire the nightlife economy. In partnership with the Save The Night program, the documentary short and online campaign with The Lesbian Bar Project is giving a voice to lesbian bars and helping support the LGBTQIA+ nightlife community. As lead sponsor of the campaign, Jägermeister’s support has helped produce the documentary short, original PSA and develop the website that is aimed to build awareness for this community. For more information on the Save the Night initiative, visit save-the-night.com.

Brydie O’Connor serves as a Producer for the project. Lea DeLaria, The Katz Company, Mariam Adams, Amy Lesser, and Julia Ruiz Hoffman serve as Executive Producers.

To donate to The Lesbian Bar Project (fund will open June 2 and will remain open for the month of June) and for more information, visit: lesbianbarproject.com/donate and lesbianbarproject.com.

About Jägermeister

Introduced over 80 years ago, Jägermeister, German for “Master Hunter,” is one of the world’s most successful liqueurs and available in over 150 countries. The iconic taste of Jägermeister is not left to chance but is due to decades of experience, a safely guarded secret recipe consisting of 56 natural herbs, blossoms, roots and fruits including star anise, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger roots, and 383 quality checks. The botanical ingredients are extracted in their raw, unprocessed form through a gentle, weeks-long process of cold maceration to create Jägermeister’s base. The base, housed in more than 400 oak casks, then “breathes” for one full year, which is key to creating the complex and balanced flavor of Jägermeister’s legendary taste profile. Jägermeister is 35% Alc./Vol. and imported exclusively by Mast-Jägermeister US, White Plains, NY. Visit www.jagermeister.com and follow @JagermeisterUSA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

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