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“I got the notion that some people don’t always want to go to a party,” Nicolai said. The relaxed atmosphere of XX+ offers an LGBTQ space that isn’t bumping bass-heavy music constantly – something the co-owner said is difficult to find. A black and gold bar is situated in the middle of the room and on the far end of the lounge, a small stage that often hosts local DJs and speakers can be watched from sofas and handcrafted stools. On one side of XX+, cushy chairs surround a bright red pool table, where customers can break the ice with a pool stick. XX+ shares a bar menu with its downstairs neighbor and offers beer, wine and cocktails ranging $7 to $12. “It’s really important to us, and me personally, to kind of give that space to everyone else so everyone feels welcome and has a family.” “There aren’t many woman spaces or just places for anyone who identifies under the queer woman spectrum,” Tasha said. where women can meet other women and feel supported.
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After her experience growing up in the country, she wanted to help open a space in D.C. XX+’s social media director, Tasha, said she immigrated to the United States two years ago from Nigeria – a country where it is illegal to be gay. NW, operates by a few simple rules: don’t grab others, always ask for pronouns and be kind.Īfter lesbian bars like Phase One and FAB Lounge closed their doors in 20, Nicolai said there hasn’t been a space for “just ladies in general.” Lina Nicolai, co-owner of Italian restaurant Al Crostino and XX+, decided to repurpose her restaurant’s top floor to serve LGBTQ women. 8, A League of Her Own will celebrate its grand opening below another recently opened gay bar, Pitchers. The bar XX+ opened on Sunday as a lounge designed for women and others on the LGBTQ spectrum. Now, two new bar options will cater to the women who have been looking for a space to call their own. Despite the bevy of gay establishments in the District, women have said D.C.’s gay nightlife scene left them behind.