One of New York’s favorite gay bars has just closed it doors, and the reason is pretty infuriating. Therapy, located in the Hell’s Kitchen gayborhood of Manhattan, announced on Thursday that it was forced to close right before LGBT Pride Month because the building next to it is being condemned.
A statement from the bar reads:
Hello friends. I know this will be hard to understand but it is out of our control. The building next door to Therapy has been condemned and we have been issued a vacate to order effective immediately. We have no time frame but we are closed as of this moment. We love you and will update you as we learn more. Please keep us in your thoughts.
Out New York Council Speaker Corey Johnson addressed the matter on his Twitter, saying that it was “shameful that the owner of 350 W 52nd Street has allowed that building to deteriorate over the course of many years.”
“While nothing is more important than safety, it is imperative that Therapy Bar and Stile’s Farmers Market, two valued neighborhood institutions, are allowed to re-open as soon as possible,” he continued. “My office is working closely with the DOB, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and NYC Office of Emergency Management to do everything possible to ensure this happens.”
Open since 2003, Therapy has been home to many popular drag shows, including nights hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race alum like Peppermint, Bianca Del Rio, Bob the Drag Queen and Monet X Change.
Many of New York’s most talented queens continue to host popular shows that fill the bar nightly, including Marti Gould Cummings, Pixie Aventura, Brita Filter and Jan Sport. With Therapy closing its doors, these queens and the staff that work there are out of vital income, with WorldPride beginning tomorrow.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.