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She was around her community, and that was her place. At the time, I couldn’t explain it, but I could tell she felt safe. When we went to the Bonham Exchange in San Antonio, it was the first time I saw my sister come into herself. Years later, when I was about 16, I started going to the clubs with her. "My sister, who is three years older than me, started coming out and hanging around her gay friends when she was about 14 years old. By that time, I couldn’t really define it, but I was attracted to girls when I was getting into my teenage years," Mabry recalled. "We moved to San Antonio when I was in 7 th grade. To understand the significance of Pearl Bar, though, one must first know Mabry's own story and how it shapes her view of the bar industry for LGBTQ folk. Through hard work, community support, and a bit of luck, Pearl Bar - Houston’s only lesbian bar - has indeed come out on the other side and returned to happier times. But if Mabry can forge her way through life as a proud lesbian and become sober for more than eight years, she knew she had it in her to fight and preserve her business. And no thanks to the pandemic, Mabry’s bar faced the very real possibility of closing. They both developed addiction habits which wreaked havoc on their lives. She and her sibling both came out of the closet in the '80s when homosexuality wasn't very accepted. These are their stories.įor Julie Mabry, owner of Pearl Bar at 4216 Washington Avenue, the struggle has been real. The Houston Press met with members of the LGBTQ community to learn more about their experiences as being part of this group. June is the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, often regarded as the tipping point in the modern gay rights movement and earning its recognition as Pride Month.