This story originally aired on April 21, 2018.
One of the realities about bars, like many other businesses, is that at some point, they will probably close their doors for good. This was the case in December of 2015, when a Pioneer Square bar called the Double Header called “last call” for the last time. This is significant, because the Double Header was one of the oldest, if not the oldest, gay bar in America.
Clint Lanier is the co-author of the book “Bucket List Bars: Historic Saloons, Pubs and Dives of America.” He visited the Double Header in October of 2015, and when he found out later that it had permanently closed, he was shocked that hardly anyone seemed to be talking about it.
In this conversation, Lanier talks about the history of the bar, how the owner created an environment of acceptance rather than tolerance, and why a place with such history closed without fanfare.
