These 2 DC gay bars are some of the best in the country

WASHINGTON — Two of the District's gay bars are being celebrated as being among the most fun and inclusive LGBTQ+-friendly bars across the United States. As You Are in Southeast D.C., and Trade in Northwest D.C. made Esquire Magazine's list of the 42 best gay bars in America.

Esquire writes that the reason they put the list together is to remember that while many stories about the LGBTQIA+ experience are rooted in trauma, there are still numerous reasons to celebrate.

"The original queer spaces were founded in secret, through codes and glances, and when we were able to be ourselves with one another, there was undeniable joy," Dave Holmes writes. "Defiant joy. The word 'gay' calls to mind our special knack for finding the light in the darkness, for building the dance floor off to the side of the cruel world."

The list includes bars and night clubs from all across the country, from Asheville, North Carolina, to Anchorage, Alaska. 

The District found itself highlighted twice.

As You Are was founded by Jo McDaniel and Rach Pike, an acclaimed duo with over two decades of combined service industry experience passionate about building a space that serves D.C.’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community.

"As You Are had a lot to live up to when it first opened its doors in March 2022," writes Abigail Covington for Esquire. "The building it took over in Washington D.C. had been home to queer establishments since 1949. Luckily, co-owners Jo McDaniel and Rach Piketo were up to the task and had the experience necessary to manage such an ambitious project. (They worked at A League of Their Own, a stalwart of DC’s lesbian bar scene, for a combined 20 years before opening As You Are.) You see, As You Are isn’t just a bar; it’s an event space and a cafe too. Stick around long enough and you might just see a coffee-sipping grad student transition into a beer-guzzling karaoke star. Oh to be a young gay again!"

Nightclub Trade also made Esquire's list.

"In a town where it can feel like every other bar is crawling with Capitol Hill staffers looking to talk shop, Trade is the rare, gloriously gay dive where absolutely everyone is welcome to just kick back," writes Diana Hubbell. "Doors open at 5 p.m. during the weeknights, or 2pm on weekends, and parties run louder and looser than at most neighboring establishments. Evenings get going courtesy of the bar’s XL Happy Hour, in which all of the cocktails come in dangerously oversized glasses. In case the name wasn’t a tip-off, Trade is one of the better queer spaces to cozy up to strangers, although it’s equally suited to just dancing with your friend circle. Regular theme nights feature tunes from the usual suspects—Beyoncé, Kylie, Gaga, and so on—while resident DJs lean more into house mixes as the nights wear on. Regular drag events and the obligatory RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing parties draw a diverse crowd."

It's clear D.C. has a lot of pride. Do you agree with Esquire? What other gay bars are your favorites?