Bucking a national trend, a new queer bar is set to open in D.C.
Rachel Pike (front) and Jo McDaniel (back), the founders of As You Are Bar. Photo by Zayn Thiam
On pre-pandemic nights, Rachel Pike and Jo McDaniel could typically be found bartending at A League of Her Own, a lesbian bar in Washington, D.C.
Now, more than a year after Covid-19 began to upend the daily lives of most Americans, the newly engaged duo can instead be found on Zoom hosting trivia contests, happy hours and dance parties for LGBTQ people of all identities through a virtual venue.
The venue, As You Are Bar, has been operating online since February, and Pike, 36, and McDaniel, 39, describe it as a combination of a bar, cafe, community center and club for people over 18.
“The pandemic made us realize that there is so much need for connection — even outside of a brick-and-mortar space,” McDaniel said.