For as long as they have existed, gay and lesbian bars have been vital pillars for the LGBTQ+ community. By nature they are ephemeral, strained by social and economic instability, yet exist as conduits to experiencing queer joy and intimacy free of homophobia. These microcosms contain entire worlds—neither utopia nor heaven but somewhere in between, allure to various niche subgroups like drag performance, and submission to a transient cycle of closures and revivals as a result of shifting sociopolitical attitudes. As the LGBTQ+ bar has seen a steady integration into mainstream culture, its original audience must preserve its histories against a white heteronormative public through collective memory and memorabilia. In Los Angeles, radical resistance, beauty, and the art of queerness come alive at night.