Long Live Queer Nightlife

Starred review from December 1, 2023

Ghaziani's (sociology, Univ. of British Columbia; The Dividends of Dissent) argues here that despite the shrinking number of gay bars around the globe, the effulgence of queer nightlife can be found in emergent alternatives. He sets the scene by providing detailed social and historical context and does so in the best ethnographic tradition, by visiting the underground queer parties of London, which some see as creative successors to gay bars. Opening with the Buttmitzvah, the book's argument is that a transformation has taken place; the gay bar has been replaced by queer parties, club nights, and episodic events. These gatherings, sometimes pop-ups, have variable venues--a basement, a camper, a warehouse--and welcome all comers, regardless of sexuality, gender, or ethnicity. Ghaziani shows that he's a good listener and quantitative sociologist who skillfully captures the stories of his interview subjects; his portrayals of attendees of these clubs and his sophisticated analyses of the statistics he gathers are captivating. VERDICT An accessible, absorbing look into an evolving form of queer culture, written by a brilliant sociologist.--David Azzolina

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
A sociology professor examines why gay bars are shuttering in major cities around the world. In recent years, writes Ghaziani, author of Sex Cultures and There Goes the Gayborhood?, a "global epidemic of [gay bar] closures" has occurred. Drawing on research, interviews, and his own work as "an urban ethnographer of nightlife," the author explores the possible reasons behind this phenomenon as well as emergent trends in the world of LGBTQ+ venues. These closures, he argues, are "disruptive event[s]" that "have forced us to think about the significance of place." Like the recessions, pandemics, and terrorist attacks that have characterized the early 21st century, they have altered routines and ways of thinking. Economic forces, such as skyrocketing urban land values and taxes, along with increasing income inequality, have catalyzed such closures. What's taken the place of gay bars are pop-up clubs that happen wherever there's (affordable) space, even if only for short periods of time. Symbiotic relationships have also emerged between remaining party venues and event-based nightlife. As one LGBTQ+ event habitu� puts it, queer nightlife is far from dying; rather, it's "thriving" through a period of rapid change. Ghaziani suggests that changes in the nightclub scene may also be generational. Traditional gay bars, for example, have tended to be bastions of whiteness that haven't always provided a refuge for nonwhite people. Like the young people who tend to frequent pop-up events, in contrast, the new queer nightlife scene enthusiastically embraces "intersectional lives" lived at the crossroads of race, gender, ethnicity, and other identifiers. Thoughtful and well researched, Ghaziani's book looks beyond the binaries and prejudices within LGBTQ+ communities to celebrate a more inclusive space of queerness that actively identifies and accepts difference in all its forms. A wonderfully lively and open-minded intellectual inquiry.

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January 29, 2024
In this eye-opening study, sociologist Ghaziani (The Dividends of Dissent) disputes the widespread notion that the queer community is suffering in the wake of an “epidemic” of LGBTQ bar closures over the past two decades. While acknowledging some problems stemming from such closures, rather than dwelling on “decline,” Ghaziani argues that queer night life is undergoing a hidden renaissance, outside of mainstream view. In particular, he points to the rise of themed club nights, which are often hosted by intersectional queer collectives in rented spaces on the outskirts of cities, describing these events as ephemeral, diverse, and potentially revolutionary. Usually inclusive of members of the queer community who were previously excluded from mainstream gay bars, these gatherings, Ghaziani argues, exemplify the radical type of community-building that emerges in disruptive political moments. Furthermore, they gesture to what society could look like in a more egalitarian and collective-oriented future. As examples, Ghaziani spotlights events such as Femmetopia, a bimonthly London club night celebrating feminine gender expression, and CAMPervan, a traveling free outdoor party for working-class queer people across Europe. Ghaziani provides an immersive view of these communities, profiling partygoers and event planners and participating in the club nights himself. It’s an invigorating and upbeat view of queer life.