Published on April 12, 2026, at FOX31
A one-of-a-kind Denver bar announced suddenly over the weekend it would be closing, but the community it serves immediately stepped in to try and help the owners keep it open.
The Pearl, Denver’s only lesbian bar and one of only a few dozen left in the U.S., on Saturday made the announcement that April would be its last month in operation. It’s been just over a year since the bar opened in its current location at the former Mercury Cafe on California Street in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood.
Previously located at the now-shuttered event venue Your Mom’s House in Capitol Hill, The Pearl has been mired with problems since its inception as Pearl Divers. Westword previously reported on the bar owners’ abrupt exit from Your Mom’s House, and changes to the event schedule of the grandfathered-in Mercury Cafe events caused some stir.
But patrons of the bar say it’s an important piece of the LGBTQ+ community, and when the owners made the announcement Saturday about its closure, supporters immediately started rallying around the bar. More than $80,000 have been donated to try and save it, but some question the longtime future of the bar.
An abrupt closure announcement
“We have worked tirelessly to find solutions and do everything in our power to avoid this conclusion,” the bar owners said in the post. Unfortunately, we are just not in a position to continue with our doors open while also ensuring our staff and beloved performers, entertainers, djs, and event producers are properly compensated.”
The closure announcement post on Instagram had more than 6,000 likes and 600 comments by Sunday morning, with sad notes from bargoers, memories made in the last year and questions about how the bar can be supported.
“What do y’all need to stay open,” one commenter asked. “This space is so beautiful and important to so many people, and I imagine there are so many people who would pour support and money into this now knowing this.”
There were also commenters wondering why the announcement was so sudden without any previous calls for help or explanations of larger concerns.
Some also acknowledged the financial problems that have plagued The Pearl and Pearl Divers, wondering what would need to change to keep the bar running.
“This is extremely disheartening,” another commenter said. “I also think it’s worth having a conversation, based on watching this journey since Pearl Divers, about financial transparency when it comes to what is clearly a very valued community space. I recognize that it is not easy to be a small business in Denver and my intention isn’t to invalidate that. However, I don’t think I’m alone in how this has become a concerning pattern for this space when it comes to finances, paying staff, how information is communicated, etc.”
Just a week ago, The Pearl posted on Instagram updated business hours and announced a temporary closure of the cafe inside the bar. The caption of the post did hint at underlying problems, but there was no word about a potential complete closure.
“These changes were really hard to make, but to be transparent it is a struggle being a small business in a historical building that is in constant need of love & repairs,” the post read. “While we are growing at a rapid rate, the financial burdens are also growing so we are doing our best to make these tough temporary decisions so we can keep the doors open.”
GoFundMe leads to community support
Just a couple hours after the closure announcement Saturday, though, The Pearl made a second post sharing a GoFundMe titled, “Save The Pearl: A Sacred Space for Our Community,” with an initial goal of $50,000.
“The Pearl, a sacred space for our queer, trans, and bi community, was just launched and needs our support to stay alive,” the post stated. “After unexpected challenges and a move to the historic Mercury Cafe, we’re behind on costs but committed to keeping this special space open.”
In the GoFundMe, the owners acknowledged some of the problems from the previous iteration of Pearl Divers. They also said moving to a historic building like Mercury Cafe has had its struggles maintaining an old building.
“We financially got in over our heads and it’s hard to catch up when you get behind,” the owners said in the GoFundMe. “Our events have brought so much queer joy, we can’t stand to lose them, and seeing the response from you all wanting to keep us alive, we will give everything we have, and I truly think between our community and the pearls commitment, we can save this sacred lesbian space.”
In less than 10 hours, the GoFundMe had already surpassed the initial $50,000 goal, with large and small donations pouring in.
“I have been all around the country and abroad and never have I met a queer or sapphic space that comes CLOSE to the community, event curation and talent seen and experienced at the Pearl,” one donor said. “This space is sacred and we need to protect queer and bipoc spaces NOW MORE THAN EVER!”
The GoFundMe was also shared on Instagram by Denver drag queen Nini Coco, a finalist on the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the finale of which is set to air in less than a week.
“Denver is home to @thepearldenver which is one of the very few lesbian bars in the country and it’s about to close,” Nino Coco said in an Instagram story to her nearly 160,000 followers. “Please join me in donating to keep this space alive!! They are gift to this community we NEED it to stay!! The joy and community this place brings is beyond. And they pay their performers!!”
The GoFundMe has since raised more than $80,000 by the time the owners closed down the fundraiser, which the owners say will be put to staff, payroll and rent with the goal of continuing to operate at least through Pride in June.
Comments to both the closure announcement and the GoFundMe posts have since been limited, but not before some still questioned the longevity of The Pearl’s future.
“It is not my motive to “gotcha” or discredit what a meaningful space The Pearl is for so many people in our community,” an Instagram commenter said. “I just wonder if there were any steps that could’ve been taken to prevent this level of chaos and concern such as talking to financial advisors or collaborating within the community (which has managed to raise 60k in a day). It seems like there is clearly an overwhelming amount of support for The Pearl and I think increasing transparency with your vendors, performers, and community members could be beneficial moving forward. I would hate to see impulsive (decision)making result in the demise of something very special to so many of us.”
On Sunday evening, The Pearl on Instagram posted an update thanking the community and letting their followers know their next steps.
“We are overwhelmed with gratitude, seriously,” the post read. “I can’t even put it into works. We will be putting out a statement soon to update you all on what the next move is, receipts of where the funds have gone once they are deposited, and full transparency on how we even got here. We want to make sure this is handled properly as a team first and we keep you guys as informed as possible.”
