Hollywood

The Hollywood

Location: 304 West 4th Street, Austin, Texas, USA (later 113 San Jacinto)

Opened/Closed: 1980s through 90s

Hollywood is mentioned in an Austin Chronicle article on lost gay and lesbian bars.

The first gay bar I went to was in Dallas. I didn't drink or smoke. I was real naive. I was like, "What is this scene ...?" But they played ABBA, and I was like: "Cool! I like Abba! OK!" It was real confusing. I was more into seeing shows. I went to clubs like Club Foot. There was kind of a crossover. Androgyny was being played with a lot at that time. "Oh he's the straightest guy there is, but he likes to look like Eno!" There were all these weird crossed signals, and then if you went to a gay bar, everybody looked totally like John Travolta. We liked going to the Hollywood because they played soul. We thought, "This is pretty cool." We'd go there on the way to the Ritz to have a couple of drinks before a show. My friend was so confused. He'd get frustrated. He would be like, "Oh, that guy is sooo cute, and I was like, "That's a girl." – Dan Plunkett, owner of End of an Ear Records

I hated the Hollywood. The thing about the Hollywood, that was a place where there was gonna be fights. It was in 1984. I did Deborah Hay's big group dance thing, and there was this one movement, and I'm on the dance floor, doing my dance. Whatever. We were doing some crazy dances; I hung out with dancers. And this girl kicked me in the head! 'Cause, granted, I had this move where my head was down, but I was like, "Did you just kick me in the head?" And she said, "Yup." And I said, "Well, why?" And she said, "'Cause you're dancing funny," in a really defiant way, and I remember going out into the parking lot and crying. Crying my eyes out. You know what? Many people will tell you about a gay bar where the end of the story is "I was in the parking lot crying!" I never went back to the Hollywood. – Gretchen Phillips

Crying is not the worst thing that ever happened in the Hollywood parking lot. A lesbian was shot to death here in March 1980. Unfortunately, the most comprehensive reference I can find to the incident consists of two sentences at Gay History Wiki:

Carol Oetting was killed by a single shot to the head as she was parking her car at “The Hollywood”, a lesbian bar in Austin, Texas. Police reported that they had discovered no suspect or motive.

Not surprisingly, the murder does NOT show up on any LGBT lists of hate crimes that I can find, even though it took place in the parking lot of a lesbian bar. Unfortunately, this kind of erasure is not uncommon when it comes to the murder of lesbians.

Lipstick24

Lipstick24

Lipstick24

Location: 606 East 7th Street, Austin, Texas, USA

Opened: October 2010 (Grand Opening December 2010)

Closed: April 2013

Here's how she introduced herself at her website:

Lipstick24 is dedicated to offer the best ladies focused, gay friendly, bar, club and all around great hangout for the entire community. 

We strive to provide a safe, open and supportive space for every female to be expressive and have a great time doing it.  We believe Austin is in desperate need of a place for female artists of all kinds:  musicians, burlesque dancers, fashion designers, belly dancers, fire dancers, roller derby, athletes,

Lipstick24 Grand Opening
December 4, 2010

DJ’s, artists, poets, film directors and more.  We also strongly believe in giving back to the community by hosting fundraisers and donating our space for special events.  We built Lipstick24 to offer something for everyone, whatever your mood.  Check out our calendar for events – we hope you’ll meet new friends, enjoy your time with old friends, see exciting shows and listen to great music.

Lipstick24 (December 2012)

The outside deck with picnic tables, an outdoor stage, trees adorned with tiny white lights; the swanky Lounge with couches and rotating art featuring local female and LGBTQIA artists; the game room to play some pool; and the dance club with a separate bar, amazing light show and kick ass speaker system.

Lipstick24 isn’t trying to be a sparkly image driven bar.  It’s a hangout.  A place with character where girls can be girls, boys can be boys, you can be you.  It’s a bar for all of us..  Come and Enjoy!

And then there's this, the "elevator speech" if you will:

Welcome to Lipstick24

Where Every Night is Ladies Night!

Austins premier ladies club offering a swanky lounge, a tree covered deck with a combination of Live music and DJ's for your dancing pleasure.

As for the review sites, they all affirm that this was a lesbian place--which is not necessarily always the case.

Lipstick24 (December 2012)

From Zagat:

"One of Austin's only lesbian bars", this "comfortable" Downtown hangout features an "all-girl staff" and plays "really loud" dance music; a back patio, pool tables and a stage hosting local LGBT acts supply a variety of distractions.

From Foursquare:

Where it's Ladies Night Every Night! Great patio, lounge, AND Nightclub! Check out the action and what's up on Facebook.com\Lipstick24

Lipstick24 (December 2012)

From GayCities:

Gay Friendly Ladies BarLipstick24 isnt trying to be a sparkly image driven bar. Its a hangout. A place with character where we girls can meet for some drinks or seek mayhem in the next room if we so desire.

From CultureMap Austin:

Lipstick24

Lipstick24 (December 2012)

Austin's downtown lesbian bar with a good dancefloor and friendly staff

From sheseek:

Lipstick 24 is Austin’s mainstay for gay and lesbian women from Thursday to Sunday, often sponsoring fundraisers for community events, showcasing local designers and performers, and even playing host for Real L Word appearances for celesbians such as Whitney Mixter. With all of the glam and none of the attitude, Lipstick 24 touts itself as “A place with character…where you can be you.”

As for what the customers say, it runs the gamut. You have the fans, the haters, the embittered men and their wives/girlfriends who are all pissed because they aren't treated really special at a lesbian bar.

Lipstick24 (December 2012)

 Let's sample a few responses:

The Fans:

Kelly S. at yelp, May 2011:

...I wasn't sure what to expect, having never really been to a lady gay bar. I was pleasantly surprised, actually.

Really nice bartender, super cool funky hair styles everywhere, a pretty big space, pool table, mrs. pacman, nice outdoor patio. Drinks weren't overly expensive and the folks we talked to were all quite friendly. It's nice and new inside with some art on the walls and a white ikea style leather seating area.

Aga N. at yelp, October 2010:

...The bartenders were so nice and quick, and the clientele was super sweet and welcoming.

Tara D. at yelp, June 2011:

Great atmosphere and friendly staff.  I always have a good time here.  Jeanna and Kristen are two of the best bartenders ever!  The management is awesome and extremely supportive of the LGBT community (as a gay bar should be, of course)...and they are always open to suggestions on how to improve the bar.

Ramona at gogobot, November 2013:

Lipstick24 is Austin's preeminent lesbian bar, but the downtown club has become a gathering place for everyone in the local LGBT community. Hang out in the casual outdoor patio, complete with an outdoor stage with weekly live music and entertainment. Lipstick also features a range of female-oriented artists, from roller derby performers and belly dancers to fashion designers and poets.

The Haters:

Gail A. at yelp, January 2013:

We arrived around 11pm on a Friday evening. The place was empty save the bartender, a handful of very unattractive women and a cold, abandoned stripper pole. Maybe I was just there on an off night, but I've experienced much better girl scenes in smaller cities/towns. We stayed for five minutes before abandoning the joint for a much livelier straight bar.

The Whiny Dudes and Straight Girls:

Note that these comments tend to be long-winded in addition to being entitled and generally ignorant of and/or indifferent to the history of male ownership/domination/colonization of lesbian bars. All of these are pruned quite a bit, I assure you:
 
Samantha P. at yelp, January 2011:

...my friend wanted to take me (and the two guys I was with) to Lipstick 24. Cool! I am an Ally, and I love dance bars and supporting local LGBTQ businesses, so I was all about it.
                                                                       ***

My friend Patrick waited at the bar for almost 20 minutes. The bartender served EVERYONE but him over and over. I walked up and gestured to the bartender, and she immediately walked up. I was really outraged and angered by it. Why ignore the guy who wants to close his tab, who has bought drinks, and who has enjoyed your bar and wants to come back?

Hael F. at yelp, September 2011:

DO NOT ENTER if you have male genitalia.

I was enticed to visit Lipstick24 when friends invited me there to see Lesbian pudding wrestling. While I'm sure it wasn't vegan pudding and I prefer the gents... I am always down for a couple of ladies throwing down in some Bill Cosby loving pudding. After walking through the door, we stopped at bar to grab drink before partaking in the action.

There were three of us (all gay men) at the bar attempting to order a beer. We waited for nearly 20 minutes for a bartender to even acknowledge us. This staff was completely inept, I've never seen such incompetence with when most of the ladies here were only ordering beers.

After finally, receiving our beers we headed to back patio for some girl-on-girl pudding action but we were too late. While we waited at the front bar, the pudding wrestling had ended. In order to console ourselves we decided to grab a couple more drinks from the outside bar. While this bar was not well stocked, we were greeted by a very gregarious and adorable bartender that was in stark comparison to our earlier experience.

This place was packed but I guess that's to be expected since it's the only lesbian bar in town. Overall, I don't think I'd go back. I understand the infighting between the gays and lesbians but I don't like to be treated like a second class citizen.

Matt H. at yelp, December 2010:

...Talking with my female friends, their guess is that the owner is a manhater.  I don't know if that's the case, and I'm personally not going to assume it is in hopes that it was just sheer incidence that my experience was terrible.  If that is the case though, it seems rather narrow-sighted to skip over someone who considers himself an ally and wholeheartedly supports your lifestyle.

Alethea B. at yelp, October 2011:

I did not realize that it was a common experience for men to be glared at in a Lesbian bar.  Most men who go are going with female friends or are gay themselves.  Not every man who goes to a lesbian bar is trying to be a pervert who will save the gay woman from a life of homosexuality by showing her what a "real man feels like"  (brrrrr).  Anyway, I digress; the reason for that statement is that it is wrong for my husband and I to go to Lipstick 24 and as soon as I go to the bathroom, he gets glared at by so many of the lesbians that it looked like he just offered to impregnate the whole bar in the back seat of his Dodge.

Many sites (e.g. Zagat, yelp, GayCities, Austin360, sacbee) report that Lipstick24 is now closed, but as usual, there is no date. The last scheduled performer I see at songkick is March 2013 though.

But in April 2013, it was announced in The Republiq that Austin was losing its "only lesbian bar." That being Lipstick24.

The space is now the Empire Control Room & Garage--a concert venue. Or possibly Club 606. Not entirely sure which came first.

Gaby & Mo's

1809 Manor Road today


Gaby & Mo's

Location: 1809 Manor Road, Austin, Texas, USA

Founded: February 1999

Closed: December 15, 2001

Here's how the Austin Chronicle reviewed Gaby & Mo's back in November 1999, just a few months after she opened for business. (Hint: You have to wade through a lot of verbage before it's confirmed that this is a lesbian place):

Agoraphobes need not apply. The feeling in this newly-resurrected cafe is all about wide open spaces, thanks to its plentiful picture windows and big streetside deck area. On any given night, you can find the outdoor seating area packed with contented patrons -- girl groups drinking beer and French Place locals flipping through the local news -- soaking up the consistently friendly atmosphere.

Inside, the room is all brightly mellow celadon walls and paint-stenciled linoleum floors. Tables scattered around the upper area give unobstructed sight lines for protracted sessions of people watching and an "up-close and personal" view of the cafe's stage, which hosts a range of poetry readings, open mikes, and assorted live performances. (Check the front window posters for current schedule.) A few steps down, the sunken lounge area is the more reflective area and home to the joint's huge yellow La-Z-Boy, a relaxing bonus seat worth jockeying for.
 
Since its recent opening, the cafe has garnered good buzz for its simple menu of home-cooked bakery items, which includes sandwiches on freshly baked house breads and substantial rotating lunch specials. They've also got a full lineup of hedonistic desserts and deep selection of beers. Name your indulgence; they've got you covered.
 
And on a subcultural note, Gaby & Mo's also won a well-deserved nod as "Best Chance at a new Chances" in 1999's Best of Austin competition. As a friend recently put it: "It's basically a girl's bar (pause) but it's very straight-friendly." All the ladies in the house say WOOOOOOO ...

Gaby & Mo's seems to have had a split personality: the earnest plain Jane coffeehouse daytime self described above--and a glamourpuss out-on-the-prowl nighttime self. Clubplanet eluded to the latter:

Gaby & Mo's - Let’s call it what it is. Gaby & Mo's, at 1809 Manor Rd, is a good place to pull. The crowd is good looking and the ambiance is sexy, so if you can’t meet someone here, well, keep drinking and try again. Liquid courage always helps. Look, we’re not guaranteeing anything, but at Gaby & Mo's you should have plenty of options.

This is the same venue?



Happy Gaby & Mo's patrons (2000)

Some interesting and random events connected to Gaby & Mo's over her relatively short lifespan:

A "Yoko Ono Birthday Hoot" (!) was held here in 1999 and 2000.

In March 2000, a Grrl by Grrl Fest was held at Gaby & Mo's, which featured 13 musical acts. The event came back for an encore in March 2001.

On August 3, 2000, Gaby & Mo's hosted the Austin Poetry Slam Team Send-Off Party--the purpose of which was to raise funds to send the team to the National Poetry Slam in Providence, Rhode Island.

In February 2001, a "Happy Hummus Party" was held here, which included live music.

We know that Gaby and Mo's was still open in March 2001, as they got a great restaurant review from the Austin Chronicle:

Their weekday Blue Plate specials are just slightly more substantial -- veggie burgers, tomatoey vegetarian lasagna, or herby fusilli with pesto, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese all come with a salad and freshly baked roll. In fact, just about everything here is so adept that you can't help but question, who are these Gaby and Mo, and where did they learn their trade? As it happens, Gaby and Mo are fictional characters invented by owners Patti Carvajal and Jill Miller. The two women have brought their considerable restaurant experience (Patti managed Kerbey Lane for a number of years) to bear in this undertaking, and it shows.

She even got a mention in the New York Times that same month and year.

But by the end of 2001, she had finally thrown in the towel:

Finally, I just got confirmation that Gaby & Mo's will be closing its doors for good come December 15. "We've been struggling from the get-go," says co-owner Patty Carbajel, "and we thought when the students came back things would get better, but they didn't." Carbajel plans on trying to get new investors and hopefully open another venue in the next year or so.

To this day, you hear laments from people who are still grieving the loss of Gaby and Mo's. This 2009 lament from spitfiregrrrl is typical:

I desperately miss Gaby & Mo’s in Austin (an out of business Lesbian coffee shop) and the few others I know of have gone out of business as well.

Today, the space is occupied by Chile's Cafe Y Cantina.

Photo: Gaby and Mo patrons

Sister's Edge II

Sister's Edge II

Sister's Edge II

Location: 113 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin, Texas, USA

Opened: November 14, 2009

Closed: June 2010

There was giddy anticipation when Sister's Edge II opened in November 2009:

Cue the Etta James. Now all together, a chorus of “At Last” …

Austin finally boasts a lesbian bar again. How many years has it been? At least dating to the previous incarnation of the now-gone Rainbow Cattle Company. (Which itself switched from gay to straight in less than a week.) There was a great coffee shop, Gaby and Mo’s, on Manor Road that more recently offered music scene at night …

So now the former CP on San Jacinto Street — in that seemingly mothballed block north of the Four Seasons — comes alive as Sister’s Edge 2 …

OK, not the catchiest name, but better than the suggestive word that was, by custom, abbreviated into “CP.” (The numeral recognizes a previous, short-lived lesbian bar at the same location.) And what a relief to see the Edge — my own abbreviation — fill to the rafters with mostly women and their male allies.

Manager Margie Carrisalez is a treat. One of my favorite bartenders, Brenda Leahy, is stationed there. I talked to folks inside and out, and the only discouraging word was a wish for speakers on the patio …

Boy, a big chunk of the gay nightclub scene has changed almost overnight. Larry Davis returned to Oilcan Harry’s, perhaps to breathe some life back into the storied institution. RCC closed completely. Rusty Spurs/Emerald City branded its patio as Colors. We learn that the 21C hotel/residence/museum project is still on for Waller Creek, meaning, yes, Chain Drive will eventually have to move or close. And the Edge now targets the largely ignored lesbian community.

Here's another opening night rave review:

With a grand opening on Saturday, this promised to be the moment we’d been waiting for:  a new bar in our fine city just for the ladies. This new attraction opens at the end of an era—just as Rainbow Cattle Company closes its doors for good. Although RCC was never exclusively for the lez crowd, it was the closest thing we had for years. So how did it do? 

Sister’s Edge II is self-described as “a ladies bar in downtown Austin—where the boys are always welcome.” Located at 113 San Jacinto between 2^nd and Cesar Chavez (formerly The Cockpit), Saturday was the big launch party to kick off the new scene. Named after the original, short-lived lesbian bar in Austin in ’97, Sister’s Edge II promised cheap beer, hot music and even hotter ladies.

The beer was cheap, but only if you got the right bartender—no surprise there. Thumbs up overall though! The cocktails were flowing, though, as they packed in the girls. According to their Facebook page, there were over 1500 people there that night (are there that many lesbians in Austin??!). When I first arrived, there were actually quite a few guys clamoring for attention from the bar, but they were soon outnumbered.

The DJ was pretty good (a little light on the hip hop, but I bet DJ Rocky B adapts for next time). The sound system was the biggest hiccup of the evening, so let’s hope they work out the kinks before next weekend.  One of the best parts, I must say, was being on a dance floor without line dancing—loved it!

To the owners of Sister’s Edge II—sending you the best of luck in making this new venue thrive. You have alot of women rooting for you!!

Then we have the shorter evaluations, like this one at clubfly:

Sister's Edge 2 is a lady's nightclub, but boys welcome too. Girl go-go's, DJ, free wi-fi, pool, free parking and patio. Happy hour daily till 9pm (Formerly Cockpit)...

This charming description is from GayCities:

A dive for the ladies
For women looking for a place to relax away from the bright lights of 4th Street, head over to Sister's Edge.

I rather like this one from gaytravel.com:

Sure Austin has a slew of gay bars, but Sisters Edge is a pretty kickin lesbian bar. It’s got zero pretense and is basically just a large air conditioned room with a big bar and a large dance floor, but the Texas ladies are friendly, the drinks are inexpensive, and the DJs spin well. Plus they bring in local queer performers and have a small outside area for smoking and (ahem) some privacy.

Of course, the hardworking Andrew Collins over at about.com also had something to say:

Known by several different names over the years, downtown's Sister's Edge (113 San Jacinto St., 512-457-8010) draws a predominantly women's crowd but welcomes everybody, including plenty of guys (it bills itself a "ladies nightclub where the boys are always welcome"). This space with a rainbow-color facade was called Cockpit before becoming Sister's Edge, and is located close to several hotels but in a quieter and less intense area than the Warehouse District, a few blocks west.

A more extensive account comes from Rachel Naples:

Located deep in the heart of downtown is Austin’s very own Lesbian/ Women’s Bar-- Sister’s Edge II. Driving south on San Jacinto you can’t miss the bar just passed 2nd Street on the left side of the street, sporting an eye-catching rainbow flag painted on the outside wall. If it’s a weekday you will be able to effortlessly find free parking. However, on a Friday or Saturday this may prove to be an arduous task, but well worth the effort!

As you walk in, the bar is immediately a pleasant experience. From the very gracious and welcoming door woman to the hospitable, easy on the eyes bar staff. Not to mention some of the best dance music and beautiful clientele to be seen and heard any night of the week. This is definitely the place for gay or straight women of all ages to come out and dance and get to know one another.

Inspired dancer, Sister's Edge II

Sister’s Edge II offers a bang-up menu of daily events and first-class drink specials. Though closed on Mondays you can be sure to find fun in the hot spot where fun is to be had any other day of the week.

Just to name a few daily events: On Sundays SEII hosts Happy Hour beginning at 4pm with $1 Mimosas and $2 domestics and stick around until 8pm for the Wet T-shirt Contest on the 1st & 3rd Sundays of every month. Also, be sure to check out Sister’s Saturday! You won’t be disappointed with the sexy Go-Go Girls shaking it to the DJ’s dance mix all night long as the beautiful women pile in creating a delightfully entertaining atmosphere till 2am. Have fun and as always drink responsibly!

We know that Sister's Edge was still around as of March 20, 2010, because this event was listed in the Austin Chronicle:

6PM-7PM: God-des, Sister’s Edge II (113 San Jacinto). When a singer is as genuine and soulful as God-des there is little to be said for them, as the music says it all. God-des has been on my iPod for the past week or so! Come to Siss-E-Deux for a good time.

She was still breathing around Pride Day (June 20, 2010):

NOT THE FAKE L WORD, THE REAL L WORD HRC hosts the premiere of Showtime's new reality, The Real L Word, a reality certainly influenced by the nonreality of the original L Word. Price includes annual HRC membership, but does it include a chart? Sun., June 20, 4pm. Sister's Edge II, 113 San Jacinto, 457-8010. $10.

But by the end of the month, Sister's Edge II had expired--just like her 1997 namesake.