'We have exhausted any and every route to try to save our home. Secrets were kept, loves were lost, true LIVES were found. 'A place where we can all feel accepted, be ourselves and feel safe. 'For so many years the 1851 club has been our home away from home,' the post read. The bar was known for its drag shows, Pride parties, and a days-long annual New Year's celebration. The 1851 Club, which for decades operated as a Cheers-style watering hole for the local LGBTQ+ community, announced the sad news to its patrons in a January 2021 Facebook post.

The only gay bar in Arlington, Tex., has shuttered due to the pandemic.