Public closure orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the nightlife industry in the United States, prompting national campaigns to, “save our stages” and local crowdfunding efforts to save neighborhood venues. Gay bars were feared to be hit especially hard, with journalists warning of their “devastation” and “extinction.” Bars are the most common form of LGBTQ+ places, with a long history as both evidence of and resources for LGBTQ+ community and activism. Although they declined during their first––and ongoing––pandemic, they rebounded and showed remarkable resilience in the AIDS era. How have gay bars fared in COVID-19, and what have been their creative responses to the second pandemic they have weathered? Were gay bars able to access Congressional relief funds, or, like in the previous pandemic, were they left to their own devices? With so few national data sources on LGBTQ+ life, how is it even possible to answer these questions? This talk presents findings from two Oberlin College research projects performed by talented undergraduate research assistants. Presented by Greggor Mattson, Professor and Chair of Sociology.