In Moby Dyke (Simon & Schuster, June), Burton tours America’s lesbian bars, from Washington, D.C.’s A League of Her Own to San Francisco’s Wild West Side.

Why are lesbian bars so important for the queer community?

Lesbian bars provided a space for me when I was just coming out as a lesbian. They provided—and still provide!—a space where I could feel affirmed in that identity, welcomed, and able to be myself. Just to be surrounded by people who may not identify exactly as you do but openly feel that however you identify yourself is completely valid, is monumental. Especially when you’re young, a little bit unsure of yourself, and don’t have your footing just yet.

When you started your tour in 2021, there were only 20 lesbian bars in the U.S., down from 206 in 1987. What’s the reason for the decline?

There were so many more reasons than I was expecting! I thought I would finish this book with two to four, but in the end, I came away with more than 10 good reasons. One that I’d never thought about is a lack of succession plans. The owner dies suddenly, and they’ve never once thought about who’s going to run it. Another reason I hadn’t considered was that sometimes lesbian bars are run by a couple. If they break up, whose bar is it? Other reasons include women and queer people not making as much money as cis men, gentrification, and queer people using apps as a way to meet.

How have the remaining bars stayed in business?

Because they’re fighting to stay open every day! These are loved and needed spaces, and they’re doing what they can. I’ve been noticing bars with engaging, updated Instagram accounts, which I feel like you didn’t use to see. Some have events happening literally every night—karaoke, drag, bingo, trivia, dance nights with campy themes. Without social media, how would anyone know how much fun everyone’s having inside? Those events are aimed at getting people in the door, but they’re also helping people to feel like they have a community space. A lot of what the bars are doing—sponsoring sports teams, volunteering locally—are things that lesbian bars have historically always done. But now they’re using social media to encourage people to visit and feel like they have a queer home and community.

Are you optimistic about the state of lesbian bars?

I feel extremely optimistic. Lesbian bars are suddenly opening again! When I started writing the book, Chicago had zero. Now, they have three. People are starting to feel the loss of these spaces in a way that makes them want to do something about it, and that translates into new spaces opening up. I feel fantastic about how this is going. Hopefully, there will eventually be lesbian and queer bars within a reasonable distance of every person who wants to go!