Shreveport’s Oldest Queer Bar Given Historical Status, But They Need Your Help
The Korner Lounge has been around for 75 years and counting, but they are fighting to keep their doors open.
In a time when LGBTQ+ bars seem to be dwindling and safe spaces are under attack, The Korner Lounge in Shreveport, La., is not only thriving, it recently received a State of Louisiana Historical Marker. Located on Louisiana Avenue in Shreveport, The Korner Lounge opened in 1951 and has remained open in the same location for 75 years. GO spoke with JD Jones, the event coordinator and show director, who said the secret to their success is their community. They described the Korner Lounge as a people-driven place that has always been a safe haven for people in the queer South. Having a space where people can feel safe makes a huge difference, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t faced challenges. The clientele changes through the years, and people tend to age out of nightlife, which means the Korner Lounge has had to adapt. They offer a wide variety of entertainment as a way to have something for everyone. The focus stays on intersectionality, and they strive to give people platforms to showcase their entertainment. Just two weeks ago, they featured an all-Black burlesque troupe.
Pivoting post-COVID has also been a challenge. Before, they averaged at least 50 people in the bar on any given night, and despite being one of two nightlife venues in town, there are now nights when they see 15 patrons. While it helps that the owner owns the physical building, The Korner Lounge has become inventive in the kinds of events it offers, which include a lot of outreach and off-site programming. Post-COVID, the closest queer spaces to Shreveport are in Dallas, Little Rock, and Lafayette — all at least 200 miles away — and that has meant there are a lot of people who don’t realize The Korner Lounge exists. This past weekend, they held a drag show, and Jones said around 75 percent of the audience was new to the venue because people are still discovering them.
They’re hoping the historical marker helps change that and brings more attention to The Korner Lounge and its history. Jones said, “The plaque will give even more public knowledge of who we are and that we exist.” To receive the marker, The Korner Lounge had to submit an application that included documentation of the lounge’s history, a process that took around four months. Historian Jimmy Whitehead, from New Orleans, spent a few months doing the necessary research, and he found all the documentation and historical documents they needed — including the very first ad The Korner Lounge ran in The Shreveport Times in 1951. The ad is now framed and hangs on their walls.
The marker itself will feature the original Bevador cooler shaped like an old-school beer bottle, and the marker will read:
Est. in 1951, The Korner Lounge is Louisiana’s second oldest continuously operating LGBTQ+ bar. It is among the oldest in the U.S. and serves as a landmark for civil rights in the South. It is regarded as a safe haven for all. The original Bevador, said to have fallen off a nearby train, is still in use today.
Jones says the historical marker means so much to The Korner Lounge because visibility is so important in a time when LGBTQ+ bars are closing left and right. “The resilience of it all is being seen and acknowledged as something important for the community and the state at large. We make history every day by walking out the doors as ourselves, so it’s really cool to be seen for that.”
Visit their GoFundMe to help The Korner Lounge cover the costs of their historical marker.
