After Cincinnati LGBTQ+ Bar Closes, Employees Wonder What’s Next

CINCINNATI — The Birdcage, a popular LGBTQ+ bar in Cincinnati, has closed its doors for good, citing its struggle to remain “financially viable.”

The bar announced its closure in a social media post on Christmas Eve.

“It’s been an incredible six years serving you, Cincinnati,” The Birdcage wrote on Facebook. “We have had our ups and downs, but we will always be grateful for playing our part for Greater Cincinnati’s LGBTQIA+ community.”

Facebook

The bar later posted on social media explaining the reasons for the sudden closure.

“Over the past year, The Birdcage has struggled to remain financially viable,” the post on Birdcage’s Facebook page reads. “Bills and salaries were paid out of pocket – not from the bar’s profits – in the hope that community support would rebound. However, sales fell by almost 75%. In recent months , sales fluctuated, and we held out hope that it didn’t fluctuate enough to cover basic operational costs.

According to the post, the bar’s insurance expired on Saturday, December 21. The owners said they tried to sell the bar and nightclub but failed to reach an agreement with potential buyers, leaving the business to close before the annual New Year’s Eve party.

“It was a slow season. We knew it had been slow. We didn’t think it was that slow,” said Mirelle Jane Divine, a drag queen and former director of the Birdcage show. “The loss of what we had created is heartbreaking for members of the community and for us as artists.”

Mirelle Jane Divine

Sitting next to her best friend and fellow drag queen, Roxie D. Mocracy, Divine said the Facebook post not only caught customers off guard, but also Birdcage employees.

“(My reaction was) one, disappointment, two, surprise,” Divine said. “I know we will land on our feet, and wherever we land, we will create another safe space. So this setback is only temporary.”

Mocracy said she found out at Christmas Eve dinner with her boyfriend’s family.

“I saw a bunch of Facebook notifications and clicked on them and said, ‘Well, I guess my schedule is open,’ that’s what I thought,” he said. she declared. “The support we have received from customers, former employees and other artists and businesses has been astounding.”

The Birdcage said a miscommunication was to blame for the sudden announcement that the bar was closing.

“We deeply regret that many of you learned of the closure through a social media post on Christmas Eve,” the Facebook post said. “This is not how we wanted this news to reach you, and we are deeply sorry. We recognize that a lack of clear and timely communication has led to this painful situation.”

Both drag queens highlighted what this loss means for Cincinnati’s queer community.

“It was a safe space, right? From the beginning, we decided to create a space for those who didn’t have space elsewhere,” Divine said. “I feel like we really caught lightning in a bottle with what we did at Birdcage.”

“I would say the legacy is that we developed a brotherhood, both between ourselves and our different stakeholders,” Mocracy said. “(Drag Queens) are having a blast and we’re hungry. And sometimes you spend $500 on wigs and then you say, ‘Well, shoot. My January calendar is completely open.'”

Roxie D. Mocracy

The Birdcage moved into its Central Avenue location downtown in June 2023. The bar and nightclub retained its Race Street location, renaming it “The Flock” as a more low-key lounge vibe. Both locations are listed as “permanently closed” on Google.

“The bar and restaurant industry is incredibly challenging, with closures more frequent than ever,” the owners said in a social media post. “While it was necessary to announce the closure of Birdcage, we recognize that the timing and method of communication was mishandled.”

The owners of Birdcage also operate several other establishments throughout Cincinnati, such as The Butcher and Barrel, Ché, O’Malley’s in the Alley, The Blind Pig, Gypsy’s Mainstrasse and Coffee at Lola’s.

“I want a safe place where the LGBTQ community can come and feel comfortable,” owner Guy Ulam previously told WCPO.

The Birdcage opened in 2018 on the Race Street site, which was once home to the popular gay bar Shooters.