This is a bar that appeals to all people. I see girls coming in with their sparkling gold lame tank tops. They always remind me of a night I spent at Cherry Red with my boyfriend, Willie. My best friend invited me to a birthday party there. At first I declined because my boyfriend was supporting me at the time and I didn’t want to come off as the unemployed gay trophy boyfriend. We ended up going. I wore a skintight black shirt with a light-up panel of a spaceship in the center, tight pants, and some leather boots. As soon as we walked in I turned on the shirt and all conversation stopped. Cherry Red is a trendy straight bar, so we definitely stuck out. All the guys turned their backs on us, and the ladies kept stealing glances at us from the corners of their eyes. No one was dancing, so my boyfriend and I did a little bump ‘n’ grind and shuffle on the dance floor until some courageous girls in black party pants came out and danced with us. Then everyone started dancing, and the party just took off. After a few strong drinks, some of the tipsy guys even asked if they could try on my shirt. “Sorry–it just wouldn’t have the same effect!”
–David “DJ” Johnson, freelance writer