A viewing party at a bar is an everyday occurrence, but what about if the bar itself is the subject of said viewing party? That’s exactly what has been happening every Wednesday of this month at the Blazing Saddle in Des Moines.
Opening in 1983, the Blazing Saddle is the oldest gay bar in Des Moines and the subject of The Last American Gay Bar, a six-episode streaming series on OUTtv. (You can also watch on Apple TV+ and the Roku Channel.)
In addition to covering this legendary LGBTQ+ landmark, the crew behind the project carries Iowan bona-fides, as it was made by an entirely local crew and showrunner/director Kristian Day grew up in eastern Iowa.
The synopsis for the series says it follows “…the rise and fall of gay bars in middle America. As acceptance of LGBTQ+ has grown, the role that gay bars have played in the culture has diminished. Does the community still need these safe havens in order to survive?”
Perhaps the fact that there is a communal viewing party for the series itself helps to answer that question? Either way, there is still time to get caught up on the series and head over to the Blazing Saddle the next three Wednesdays at 9 p.m. for the remaining episodes.
