By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. — As Albuquerque prepares to welcome a new queer gathering space, the owners of VERS say the project is about much more than opening another bar.
The new LGBTQ-focused venue is expected to open in June, just in time for Pride Month and arrives at a time when many queer spaces across the country have disappeared. For owners Lucas Romero and Luke Rogers, VERS represents a chance to create a place where people can gather, connect and feel seen.
The idea for VERS grew out of Friends of Dorothy, a recurring queer mixer the pair launched in 2021 as people emerged from the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We started at Hotel Park Central, their rooftop, because you couldn’t really be inside without wearing masks,” says Romero. “What we learned is that there was a hunger for something more in the queer community here in Albuquerque.”
The event continued to grow over the following years.
“We did it every quarter for the past five years, six years, and it grew every time we did it,” says Rogers. “It started out with about 80 people, and then I think our last one had between three and four hundred people. So that’s when we’re like, this is really meaning something to the community.”
That response convinced them there was room for a new kind of queer space in Albuquerque.
Finding the right location proved challenging. Rogers explains that the pair explored several properties before landing on the current site at 5001 Central Ave. NE between Nob Hill and the International District. The space was formerly occupied by Albuquerque Distilling
“This is probably our fourth property that we’ve tried to do something in,” says Rogers. “Every time you lose out on a space, you think, man, we’ll never find a space as good as this one. But out of the four spaces we’ve looked at, this by far, I think, fits our needs better than any other space.”
At its core, Romero says VERS is intended to be a queer bar that builds community while offering an elevated experience. Plans include entertainment ranging from DJs and drag performers to comedians and other live acts.
“Our vision is to provide a slightly elevated bar experience that has more of a queer focus,” says Romero. “We want to have entertainers, anything from DJs, drag queens, comedians, you name it.”
The owners say Albuquerque’s existing gay bars and clubs remain important community institutions, but they believe there is room for something different.
“We have two gay bars in town and one gay club, and we’re glad they’re in town, and they offer a lot to the community,” says Rogers. “But we think we can do something just a little different.”
The opening comes during a period when queer bars nationally continue to face economic pressures and closures. Romero explains that reality makes opening a new LGBTQ-focused venue both intimidating and exciting.
“I think due to the political environment that we live in, I think that there is a need for spaces that are keeping people safe,” says Romero. “It’s something that we see – gay bars closing left and right.”
For both owners, the importance of queer spaces extends beyond nightlife.
“I would almost think [about] it from a religious perspective,” says Rogers. “If you told someone religious that their church shut down, or their community gathering place shut down, this is where we come together, this is where we assemble, this is where we [have] fellowship.”
Rogers emphasizes losing those spaces can have a profound impact on LGBTQ people.
“When we don’t have those spaces for people to come out and be free and be who they are, it’s not good for the community,” says Rogers. “It’s best when we can celebrate who we are and be our authentic selves.”
Romero says queer spaces can be especially important for younger people still exploring their identities.
“To find a space that accepts you for whom you are, whatever that might be, I think is really important,” says Romero.
Rogers reflected on his own first experience entering a gay bar. “We walked in, and we go, ‘Oh my god, we found our people, we found our community,'” says Rogers. “How meaningful that was, especially coming from maybe conservative backgrounds or non-accepting backgrounds.”
As opening day approaches, both owners say they are eager to see the community make the space its own.
“I’m most excited for the queer community to be proud of a space that they have,” says Rogers. “For them to say, ‘Oh, man, we have an awesome gay bar in Albuquerque.'”
The pair have invested heavily in the project themselves and say they hope VERS can eventually become a way to give back to the community that inspired it.
“Our vision is much more than just queer bar,” says Romero. “We have goals way beyond this that gets the community involved in different ways that we want to try and reinvest money from the bar back into our community.”
For now, they are focused on opening the doors and creating a welcoming space for everyone who walks through them.
“Every person that walks through that door should feel seen,” says Rogers. “Young, old, lesbian, gay, whoever you are, whatever background you come from, we want you to feel like you belong here.”
You can track progress toward the grand opening of VERS on Instagram at @vers.abq.