Hanging On By A Sequin: Conservative Neighbors Oppose Historic Little Village Gay Bar

Conservative Neighbors Oppose Historic Little Village Gay Bar

The stretch of 26th Street that makes the heart of Chicago's Little Village neighborhood is vibrant on a Friday night. The smell of taco stands is warm and inviting in the cold, as people bustle amongst the colorful stores -- joyerias and a chain of boutiques named, curiously, Brazilian Seduction Jeans. In the midst of this is a bar with no sign. But locals know this is La Cueva, a Spanish speaking-only bar where women with false eyelashes and hair like exotic birds writhe and lip-sync to Mexican pop music.

La Cueva is an LGBTQ historic site -- it is known as the oldest Latino drag bar in the country. This is a bit of a misnomer, as the performers are women -- trans male to female. La Cueva has been around for 30 years, providing a place for trans Latinas to work and gay Latinos to belong.

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