Women dancing and socializing at Le Monocle, a lesbian nightclub in Paris, 1937. Photograph by Brassaï; original image distributed by ACME Newspictures.
The Dallas Way presents
StoryTelling, Vol. 38
The Dallas Way presents Raise a Glass: Stories from Dallas’s Lesbian Bars, an evening of firsthand stories and memories from women who helped create, manage, and shape some of Dallas’s most iconic lesbian gathering places.
For generations, lesbian bars served as more than social venues. They provided spaces where women formed friendships, built community, organized, supported one another, and participated in the broader development of Dallas’s LGBTQ+ community.
Panelists Kathy Jack, Barbara O’Brien, and Harriet Shaw will share experiences connected to Sue Ellen’s, Desert Moon, Rumors, and Moon Dreams, including the community, activism, and relationships that developed within and around these spaces.
The program will be moderated by Kristin Holman, owner of the former Eden Lounge.
Photo Scanning
Doors open at 5:40 p.m. for photo scanning. The Dallas Way will scan photographs before the program begins at 6:30 p.m. and again after the program concludes.
Attendees may bring photographs documenting Dallas LGBTQ+ nightlife or other aspects of Dallas LGBTQ+ history for possible preservation in The Dallas Way archives. Original photographs will be returned after scanning.
No tickets or advance registration are required.
NOTE: Originally planned for September 10th, Raise a Glass: Stories from Dallas’s Lesbian Bars will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Sue Ellen’s, placing the program in October as part of LGBTQ+ History Month.