A few years later, Detwiler pitched his idea. Cashman, who has made four documentaries, most recently about the Tijuana soccer club known as the Xolos, was immediately hooked. He knew nothing about gay bars, and that was the draw. Later, as the token “straight man in the room” during interviews, he acted as a stand-in for the film’s audience.Ĭashman was surprised to learn about the bars’ multifaceted history, including from a business and economic point of view.
“I never knew the backstory,” he said.ĭetwiler and Cashman both elaborated: They used to be hard to operate back when there were “no touch” rules, a homophobic police presence and unwelcoming city policies. These days, it’s getting harder to bring in customers - but for very different reasons. There were 40 gay bars in San Diego in 1986 today there are around 20.Īs property values and rents have risen, gay bars in San Diego and elsewhere have shut down.Īlso, people have the Internet for dating, and younger generations are more comfortable partying with people of all sexual orientations.
