Life has been
like the T.I. song “Ball” for me. One party after another, followed by hectic
days in the emergency department. And the icing on the cake – tattoo #2 is done
and it’s visible. Yes, I have a visible tattoo for the world to see.
A few weeks
ago my lesbian friends and I were talking about our early club hopping days and
someone said that Shampoo Nightclub was closed. Before I was old enough to get
into any club, Shaft Fridays was officially LGBT night at Shampoo and I always
got in..uncarded…and for free. In fact I was such a regular that they put me on
the exclusive VIP admissions list. I always had a good time when I was there
and met the most interesting gay boys. In fact that’s how my best gay male
friend met his partner. Their foam parties and Jacuzzi were always suspect (I
just stayed away) but none the less, Shampoo was a staple of the 90’s LGBT
party days.
Early last
Fall a staple in the Philly lesbian community closed its doors after 17 years. Sisters
Nightclub was the best and only lesbian bar in the city that catered
exclusively to the surrounding areas lesbians. Thursday nights were their most
popular nights because it was $10 to get in and you got 8 drink tickets, free
food buffet, and karaoke. It was the best deal in Center City and they also
discounted your parking at the lot nearby. It’s usually $20-$30 to park in
Center City, you only paid $10! You can’t find that now if you tried. They also
had annual Equality Forum and Pride women’s events, not to mention the holiday
celebrations and Sunday brunch. The bartenders were friendly, Fran is still my
favorite bouncer ever and she always made a girl feel extra special. Some hated
Sisters but if you’re not going out looking for drama you had a great time.
With our
lesbian staple being closed, lesbians only have the gay boys clubs (which are
an abundant) to party at which truthfully is a drag (no pun intended). The
drinks are watered down and overpriced, the bartenders are rude and act like
they don’t want to be bothered by you, even though you’re a paying and good
tipping customer. It’s like if you have vagina you’re a second class citizen.
Although the gay boys and drag queens are a blast to dance with, sometimes a
girl just wants to dance the night away with her fellow lesbians.
So what’s
left? The Stimulus Philly group host monthly parties throughout the year which
have become the new lesbian party outlet. They always have an awesome drink
special and admissions price. They use two venues – Voyeur and Tabu. The latter
is my favorite because it’s a more intimate venue, and Voyeur is a huge
industrial club. The drinks are watered down and service is way too slow there,
whereas Tabu is always on point. Not to mention that the bartenders always
remember my friends and I. Winning!
Another group
that has become a hot party outlet for us is Ladies 2000. They’re a party promo
group similar to Stimulus but has been around much longer. They host monthly
parties in Cherry Hill, NJ and other places like New Hope, Rehoboth. The crowd
is more 30+ , they have $1 drink specials for the first hour, and free food
buffet. I’m attending their event this month and look forward to having an
awesome time.
If you want
to do more than just party there are Meet Up groups where you can meet and
socialize with other lesbians in your area. I’m in a few groups and they keep
my calendar packed.
