This Entrepreneur Is Using The Metaverse to Create an Immersive Lesbian Bar

Elena Rosa is a Los Angeles-based artist who wished to create a lesbian story world the place folks of all genders, sexualities and identities might study lesbian bar historical past. She drew from images, writings and interviews with former bar patrons and bar homeowners to convey L-BAR to life. Rosa sat down with Jessica Abo to speak about her interactive on-line bar and salon, and her recommendation for anybody attempting to create a sacred expertise.

Jessica Abo: You’ve got spent years working as an actor and artist and say you are actually enthusiastic about creating completely different worlds. What’s it about creating environments that lights you up?

I like constructing environments. I like excited about our structure and the way that frames our id. I’ve a selected fascination with Byzantine church buildings, the way in which the lots can stroll into this dome, this heaven on earth and everybody has one point of interest. Straight forward is the focal. It is one fact, one perception. And should you look to the left or to the proper or above you, there are depictions of saints mirroring that fact and confirming that fact. I like excited about how that informs us in these areas.

In distinction to the lesbian bar, which had been our saloons and taverns, they’re often fairly darkish. They usually is likely to be down an alleyway or they is likely to be down a flight of stairs, however they’re darkish. At first, there weren’t any home windows, and the place there have been home windows, they had been coated with curtains, so that you could not see what was occurring inside. I believe that encourages experimentation and strolling into the unknown. It is stuffed with thriller, and I imagine in that area is the place company may be explored.

Why did you need to create an area devoted to lesbian bar historical past?

I wished to have fun and honor lesbian bar historical past. I believe that these bars, particularly pre-Stonewall, had been bars that actually allowed ladies to border feminism and concepts of need and methods of being on the planet. So, I wished to honor that historical past and in addition honor the trailblazers, all of the folks that crossed the road to enter the bar when it wasn’t okay to try this.

I take into consideration my very own lesbian bar historical past, and I landed in San Francisco and I would just come out and I might go to this bar on Sundays and it was Women’ Day on Sundays. I do not recollect it being about consuming alcohol. It wasn’t about that, the bar for me. However, on an unconscious degree, I suppose there was this different facet and I could not wait to get to the bar. There was this different facet of strolling into a spot, strolling in someplace, and the folks that you simply see mirror who you might be. I believe that unequivocal understanding that another person is such as you. It is a lifeline, actually. I used to be raised very non secular, and to me, this was all the things. This was all the things to me. However, I do not know if I spotted it on the time, however I wanted it. I wanted that mirror to myself on the time, from folks, from these ladies in that bar.

What is the state of lesbian bars right now?

Properly, there aren’t many lesbian bars left. In accordance with the Lesbian Bar Mission, which raises cash to fund the remaining lesbian bars within the U.S., there are below 25 lesbian bars. I imagine that with a purpose to perceive why they’ve disappeared, we have to perceive why they existed. The lesbian bars are very completely different right now. They are way more inclusive with language. I believe after I was going to bars, there have been many alternative identities and methods of being there, however they only weren’t spoken about. Or, in the event that they had been, it wasn’t foregrounded by that. I believe bars had been extra foregrounded by need, at the least after I was arising. Now, language is there, and inclusivity is there on the forefront, and I believe that is actually nice. I believe that is fantastic. Generally, I’m wondering if we want the time period lesbian bar anymore if we want lesbian bar anymore.

It is attention-grabbing to consider. I believe additionally, I’ve seen that the intergenerational facet of bars after I was arising isn’t there anymore. I bear in mind going to early bars and I might discuss to the older dykes about how you can shoot pool and how you can be and no matter, and there was lots of communication between generations, and that is not the case anymore. That is to do with the web world. A number of my older buddies have fantastic, superb relationships on-line and so they need not go to the bar. So, it is not a foul factor, it is simply completely different. The bars are very completely different right now.

What is going to somebody expertise after they enter L-BAR?

Inside L-BAR, you can be introduced with a world, I name it a lesbian story world. That world has a great deal of cities that you could click on into, and whenever you do, you will discover bars, lesbian bars, introduced to you. These bars all really existed. They’re from 1925 by way of 2005. Now, I made these bars, they’re digital artwork interpretations, I made them primarily based on oral histories from former bar homeowners and bar patrons. So, you may also hear these interviews contained in the area. You possibly can meet buddies there or make new ones, sit at a bar stool and take heed to folks like Joan Nestle, Jewelle Gomez, Lillian Faderman to call a number of. You possibly can really hear them contained in the bars.

What do you assume this venture represents now?

I believe this venture represents a dwelling archive. I believe it presents a approach to have a look at historical past in another way by being within it, by occupying that historical past, by listening to the tales the place that historical past came about and sitting within it and sharing your personal story within it. I believe it is one other solution to doc and one other solution to expertise one’s self by way of historical past.

I believe it additionally exhibits how essential and sacred lesbian bars had been for lots of people, and sacred to our historical past when it comes to id constructing and shedding and methods of being on the planet.

What’s subsequent for you and L-Bar?

I will be transferring off of this platform that I exploit, which is known as ohyay, which is superb. They are shutting down on December thirty first, so L-Bar may also shut down. I am presently making use of for grants and in search of funding to maneuver the venture someplace else. I am additionally making a documentary about lesbian bar historical past.

What recommendation do you’ve got for somebody who’s attempting to create a sacred expertise whether or not it is by way of the metaverse or by way of a brick-and-mortar atmosphere?

I believe it is essential, in no matter you do, no matter you create, to make it private, make it stuffed with your coronary heart, as a result of I believe persons are going to disagree with you and so they’re not going to love what it’s a must to say, and that encourages dialog. I imagine within the dialog. I imagine in distinction, and I believe that’s what sustainable enterprise is. I do not assume it is pleasing everyone. I believe it is really a dialog.