Desert Moon

Cowgirl Barbie (1990)

Desert Moon

Location: Off North Central Expressway (behind La Quinta), Dallas, Texas, USA

Opened/Closed: Early to mid 1990s

Have just a few references to Desert Moon. This June 2013 article in dallasvoice.com on the history of Razzle Dazzle Dallas says the following:

Desert Moon was a lesbian-owned bar off Central Expressway behind the La Quinta north of Fitzhugh.

Razzle Dazzle Fundraiser (1991)

Desert Moon is also listed as a business sponsor for the 1991 Razzle Dazzle, which was a fundraiser for AIDS organizations. The DJ from Desert Moon, Laurie Bednarski, is also mentioned as providing part of the entertainment.

In Through the years: Dallas’ gay culture, we're told that in February 1993 that

Georgia Ragsdale performs at the Desert Moon lesbian bar.

Georgia Ragsdale

Then there are the following memories from lesbian blogger Stormy Stroud:

Before Phoenix, I lived in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and had another great group of friends that were always together doing everything from having painting parties at someone’s house, taking weekend motorcycle trips, watching movies on a Sunday afternoon, or dancing the weekend away at Desert Moon or Ropers. It never occurred to me other cities didn’t have a “community” like that.

When I was offered a transfer back to Texas, I couldn’t get here fast enough so that I could be in a place where there is actually a LGBT community to get involved in! But, I had to find a way to do so. Things had changed in the 12 years I’d been gone. What do women in the 30+ age range like to do? Where could we go to have a good night out? I felt that Sue’s was more for the youngsters. And, I was saddened to learn that Ropers and Desert Moon were long gone.

At the website for an band called Zwazy, there is the following message from a fan in 2000:

Zrazy

A big "Howdy" from Dallas, TX. Didn't realize y'all had a website- silly me- I tried to search for one 6 years ago and I didn't try again. Well, I'm the person who had to lend y'all my M1 when you played at the Desert Moon in Dallas in Nov 1994. I've moved a couple of times and my autographed CD was locked away in a box forever. I thought I had completely lost it but I found it. So I listened to it last night for the first time in years and I cried! Glad to see you two are still alive and kicking. Can't wait to get my hands on the other 2 albums. I'd love to see y'all back in Dallas, but I know that the only 2- yes 2- lesbian bars here are the worst ones in the country. Perhaps we can get you down here some other time. By-the-way, I sold my M1 (stupid, yes), but I have a Trinity now.

Ah. And here we have the 2009 recollections from a former Desert Moon manager:

Barley House

As Hunter S. said, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro”, so I quit Dave and Busters and stepped on up to run my own bar. I found an opportunity to build and run a new local bar from the ground-up. The owners of a small country & western lesbian bar off of Henderson were looking to get into the business of running a local Tavern. Yes, I said, “country & western lesbian bar”. It was called “Desert Moon, it had no windows, and I suspect had never seen a beautiful woman brighten it’s door. Anyway, it was by providence we found each other. I saw an ad for a new bar looking for a bartender, so I drove on down to meet them. After I heard what they were doing to the place, I offered several solutions and ideas on how they could turn the place into a thriving local watering hole, not unlike what The Barley House around the corner was. They liked my attitude (suckers!), and were refreshed by my bright ideas and apparent know-how. I walked out of that interview as their new manager and pseudo-partner with all of the glory and none of the profit. (yet.) I waited tables to stay afloat while I spend 6 days a week painting, planning, and basically remodeling this dank little bar in between the I-75 service road and Henderson. Finally in the early summer of 2006 Vickery Place Tavern was open for business, and I was a full-fledged proprietor of my “own” bar.

As you may have noticed, I have included many photos--but none of Desert Moon, since I can't find any. Especially since I don't have an exact address.