gAyTX Nights: COVID-19

Between the cancellation of SXSW and the city closing Austin’s bars and restaurant dining rooms, the city’s entertainment community took a huge hit leaving many service industry workers and entertainers out of cash and out of work. Austin LGBTQ+ nightlife scene wasn’t spared. With Austin’s handful of queer bars shuttered until May 1 to help slow the spread of COVID-19, bartenders aren’t pouring, musicians aren’t performing, gogo dancers aren’t twerking, drag queens aren’t slaying and an entire web of workers and entertainers that depended on the nightlife scene are suddenly without work.

Meanwhile, we’re being asked to socially distance ourselves from our community to help flatten the curve for the coronavirus, but that hasn’t stopped the community from finding creative with ways to connect virtually. Several drag performers and musicians have started streaming their performances on social media. This past Friday, the cast of Oilcan Harry’s Crave drag show hosted a virtual drag show to help raise money for a crowdfunding campaign for the staff at Oilcan’s who are out of work while the bar remains closed. Austin singer-songwriters Lisa Marshall and Gina Chavez both hosted virtual concerts this weekend.

Some of those affected had other sources of incomes to fall back on — day jobs, second jobs, side hustles — but unfortunately most weren’t so lucky. For those who are looking to help out directly, we’ve curated a list of those individuals within our community whose livelihood has been directly affected by COVID-19 as well has crowdfunding campaigns that are helping the staff at affected businesses.

If you’d like to be added to the list, email chase@therepubliq.com with your details, including: your name, where you work (or what you do if you’re a freelancer), CashApp username, PayPal email or PayPalMe URL, or Venmo username.

Updated March 24, 2020 00:45

BAR STAFF

BT2

GoFundMe Campaign for BT2 staff – https://www.gofundme.com/f/bt2-staff-help

Cheer Up Charlie’s

GoFundMe Campaign for Cheer Up Charlie’s staff – https://www.gofundme.com/f/cheer-up-charlies-emergency-staff-fund

Coconut Club

Highland Lounge

GoFundMe Campaign for Highland staff – https://www.gofundme.com/f/404-highland-family

The Iron Bear

The Iron Bear is unique among Austin’s gay bars in that since it moved to it’s new location recently, it now has a kitchen and was serving a full menu of food items. The kitchen is open from 12 NOON – 8 PM serving their full menu for TAKE OUT orders only. Check out their menu at www.theironbear.com then call in your order to 512-482-8993.

GoFundMe Campaign for The Iron Bear staff – https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-employees-of-the-iron-bear

Oilcan Harry’s

GoFundMe Campaign for Oilcan Harry’s staff – https://www.gofundme.com/f/oilcan-harrys

Rain on 4th

GoFundMe Campaign for Rain on 4th staff – https://www.gofundme.com/f/rain-on-4th-employee-donations

Sellers Underground

GoFundMe Campaign for Seller Underground staff – https://www.gofundme.com/f/sellers-underground-family

DRAG ARTISTS

DEEJAYS

MUSICIANS

SERVICE INDUSTRY

therepubliq

The COVID-19 pandemic in Austin has also been a major blow to us here at therepubliq. While we have managed to navigate many of the storms that local LGBTQ+ media has weathered in the past, this is unprecedented.

90% of our revenue — advertising, event promotions, sponsorships, and income from our own events — is directly tied to people getting together in groups. The current situation has virtually eliminated this income and with the current models, could last for months. For a small independent publication, like therepubliq, this can be devastating. At a time when our community needs the be kept up-to-date on what’s going on, now more than ever, we’re asking for your help to support continued coverage of everything happening in LGBTQ+ Austin. You can make one-time contribution at queertx.com/support or making a recurring donation by becoming a patron at queertx.com/patron.

Thank you! We can’t say enough how much we appreciate your support.

Patreon Campaign for therepubliq – http://patreon.com/therepubliq

If you’d like to be added to the list, email chase@therepubliq.com with your details, including: your name, where you work (or what you do if you’re a freelancer), CashApp username, PayPal email or PayPalMe URL, or Venmo username.

Sources:

• Austin Virtual Tip Jar
• I Lot My Gig
• Queerantine.Me