47 episodes
Cruising | A Queer Documentary Podcast Sarah Gabrielli, Rachel Karp, and Jennifer McGinity
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- Society & Culture
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4.7 • 137 Ratings
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A show about lesbian bars, the humans that run them, and the humans that call them a home. Not sure where to start? You don’t have to listen in order! Pick your favorite city or your favorite bar and dive in.
Season 1 follows creators Sarah Gabrielli, Rachel Karp, and Jen McGinity on their 2021 cross-country road trip to visit and document every lesbian bar in the U.S. Season 2 chronicles the current lesbian bar resurgence AND takes you back in time to lesbian bars of decades past!
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Bonus Content: Summer | Doc Marie's
Our full interview with Summer, security at Doc Marie's.
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover Art is by Finley Martin.
-Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Olivia Travel and Honda
-Discover Olivia at olivia.com/experience and save $100 on your next trip when you use promo code CRUISING
Support the Show.
Support the Show. -
Hershee Bar | Norfolk, VA
In 2018, the Hershee Bar community showed up at a series of Norfolk City Council meetings to fight for their bar. This is the story of Hershee Bar, the humans that ran it, and the humans that called it a home.
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode!
This episode features interviews with: Annette Stone, Jennifer Alomari, Andria McClellan, and Mamie B Johnson, as well as excerpts from 2018 Norfolk City Council meetings featuring various members of the local LGBTQ+ community.
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover Art is by Finley Martin.
-Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Olivia Travel
-Discover Olivia at Olivia.com and save $100 on your next trip when you use promo code CRUISING
Support the Show. -
Welcome to Cruising!
Cruising is a documentary podcast about lesbian bars, the humans that run them, and the humans that call them a home. Not sure where to start? You don’t have to listen in order! Pick your favorite city or your favorite bar and dive in.
Season 1 follows creators Sarah Gabrielli, Rachel Karp, and Jen McGinity on their 2021 cross-country road trip to visit and document every lesbian bar in the U.S.
Season 2 chronicles the current lesbian bar resurgence AND takes listeners back in time to historic lesbian bars of decades past!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover Art is by Finley Martin.
Support the Show. -
Alice Brady's | New Orleans, LA
Alice Brady owned and ran various lesbian bars throughout New Orleans between 1952 and 1978. The most notable was called Alice Brady's.
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode!
This episode features interviews with: Ellen Frayle, Frank Perez, Diane DiMicelli, Randy Elwood, and Cindy
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover Art is by Finley Martin.
-Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Olivia Travel
-Discover Olivia at Olivia.com and save $100 on your next trip when you use promo code CRUISING
Support the Show. -
The Ruby Fruit | Los Angeles, CA
When Mara and Emily opened The Ruby Fruit in 2023, Los Angeles hadn't had a lesbian bar since 2017. It is named after Rita Mae Brown's iconic lesbian novel Rubyfruit Jungle, and self-described as "a strip mall wine bar for the sapphically inclined."
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode!
This episode features interviews with: Mara Herbkersman, Emily Bielagus, Denise Jones, and Anna Goodman.
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover Art is by Finley Martin.
-Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Olivia Travel
-Discover Olivia at Olivia.com and save $100 on your next trip when you use promo code CRUISING
Support the Show. -
Lost and Found | Chicago, IL
Established in 1965, Lost and Found was the longest running lesbian bar in Chicago until it was sold in 2008 and became Lizard's Liquid Lounge. Join us as we celebrate former Lost and Found regular Linda's 80th birthday at Lizard's, and hear the stories of the community members who've found a safe space at this bar over the years.
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode.
This episode features interviews with Linda Barsaloux, Tracey Baim, Michelle Jones, and Barb
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-Want more LGBTQ+ history and stories? Follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover Art is by Finley Martin.
-Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Olivia Travel
-Discover Olivia at Olivia.com and save $100 on your next trip when you use promo code CRUISING
Support the show
Support the Show.
Customer Reviews
Hershee Bar
This episode was very well done. I was a regular at HBs (what we called the Hershee Bar). HBs was our home. I was there the last night, in fact a photo of Alomari, my girlfriend and I made the front page of the Washington Post from that night.
I live about 45 minutes from there and would make the drive several times a week. I agree with Annette that it is very difficult to be gay in this area to this day.
Because of the way Norfolk treated our community, I try to stay away. I do not want my hard earned money to support Norfolk in any way. I have not attended a Pride festival since 2018 bc of the hypocrisy in a city that says we are inclusive and then demolishes one of, if not the oldest lesbian bars in the country. The city council knew exactly what they were doing! Also, no one bothered to make a statement and say, “sorry, it’s a done deal,” or “no, we are not going to change our mind.” They let us continue to appear week after week. Keeping hope alive that there might be a different outcome. Shame on them. Shame on all of them.
Story after story after story fabulous!
I discovered this podcast during my walks during Covid . I’m enthralled with each episode!
Two Amazing Episodes
Charlene’s and Les Pierre’s - the two best podcast episodes I’ve heard in a long time. Sarah, Rachel, and Jen are doing more than stories about bars. They are shining light on brave, loving and overlooked humans. These two episodes taught me about New Orleans culture, LGBTQ advocacy, and a tragedy that a courageous woman wouldn’t allow to be ignored. The interview technique could not be better. Not all podcasters know how to let their subjects shine. These three women know what they’re doing. Amazing stuff.