Labyrus

The former Labyrus, now Lockerbie Pub

Labyrus

Location: 631 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Opened: 1978

Closed: ?

The only reference to Labyrus I have found is in an Indy Star article from December 2013. The article is called "The Strange But True History of Indianapolis' Gay Bars," but true to the genre, the article has very little to say about lesbian places. In fact, Labyrus is the only lesbian bar mentioned.

So what are we told about Labyrus? Well for starters, it was founded by a lesbian named Mary Byrne, who had been active in the protests against Anita Bryant's appearance in Indiana in October 1977:

Mary Byrne, once she acknowledged her sexuality, moved swiftly. She joined a women's rugby team, bought a country-and-western bar at 631 E. Michigan St. and converted it to a lesbian bar. This was in 1978. She named the place Labyrus, and booked numerous female musicians. It wasn't disco, it was feminist -- folksy, blue grass and some jazz: Meg Christian, Teresa Trull, Holly Near. "Fifty concerts a year," said Byrne. "It was the heyday of women's music."

And that's about it, except for one gay man complaining that he was once refused service at Labyrus.