I wasn't ready to admit that to my friend. It was easier to look at anything else than to hear her acknowledge my gayness out loud.ĭespite my discomfort, I knew I wanted to explore what was behind the door. I remember focusing my attention on the cable lines overhead, trying to look away from her. I know the threat to LGBT people in North Carolina is heightened, possibly more than it's ever been, at the moment.ĭespite the club being 'members only,' Alyzza told me should could get us in, because she had roller derby friends who served as her connection. I had graduated from college the week before, and Alyzza suggested we check out Time Out before I left town. I'd never seen a bar with a sign like this before, but my friend said she heard tell that many gay bars in the South were 'members only' to ward off any potential discrimination or violence a way for the community to protect itself. On this May day, I, a baby dyke, was walking with Alyzza when I first noticed the exclusive sign on the window at Time Out Saloon. I passed the square brick building on my way to downtown Greensboro one day, walking alongside my friend Alyzza, who - at the time - was one of the only friends I'd come out to in the days before I graduated from college. I didn’t notice the sign when I first walked by it the words and the building were inconspicuous. The door was marked “Private Club,” but my friend assured me it allowed outsiders.
