Within a few days, bulldozers rolled in and reduced the once vibrant venues to rubble. On January 1 of that year, Circus Disco and Arena Cafe, two mega clubs and historic spaces that had been open more than 40 years, closed. The Latino LGBTQ community has watched its spaces disappear since early 2016. Spaces that cater to people of color have been particularly devastated since so few exist. In December, the owners of Akbar launched a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $200,000.
Gym Sportsbar closed in July and Flaming Saddles closed in August.Cuties in East Hollywood, L.A.’s only queer focused coffee shop, went out of business in August.Gold Coast in West Hollywood closed in September.
