The US used to have over 200 lesbian bars. Now only 21 are left.

• Lesbian bars have been a mainstay of American queer culture since the 1930s.
• But today, there are only 21 left in the entire country.
• The Lesbian Bar Project has raised over $117,000 to help keep these spaces open.

Historians don't actually know what the first lesbian bar was, but many believe it was Mona's 440 Club, which opened in San Francisco in 1936.

Bars were some of the few spaces where queer people could be themselves. But even these spaces weren't free of harassment.

Up until the 1970s, most lesbian bars in New York City were owned by the mafia. Violent police raids were common, and anyone caught dancing with a same-sex partner could be arrested.

But the gay rights and feminist movements of the 1960s and early 1970s paved the way for more women to own lesbian bars. By 1987, there were at least 206 lesbian bars in the country.

Fast-forward to 2021, though, and only 21 lesbian bars remain.

We looked at why lesbian bars are closing and how the queer community, led by the Lesbian Bar Project, is fighting to save them.