Richmond, Virginia, is mourning the loss of a trailblazer in LGBTQ history. Vicky Hester, longtime owner of Babes of Carytown, the second-oldest lesbian bar in America, has died. The announcement came Tuesday in a heartfelt Instagram post from the bar, saying Hester passed away surrounded by loved ones.
The post read, “Please continue to join her family, friends, and staff at Babes of Carytown in remembering her tenacity for life and love for people…Keep those she loved in your thoughts, as we begin to navigate life without her. She will truly be missed.”
Hester transformed Babes, which first opened as a steakhouse in 1987, into a beloved gathering space for lesbians and the wider LGBTQ+ community. She told RVA Magazine earlier this year, “It’s always been about pride and community and a place to not only come together but struggle together.”
For decades, Babes has hosted everyone from line dancers to LGBTQ+ sports leagues. Customers remember it as a safe, joyful space where diversity was celebrated.
James Millner, director of Virginia Pride, called Hester “a pillar of Richmond’s LGBTQ community,…She understood that queer spaces are sacred — not just as places to socialize, but as centers of community.”
Hester is survived by her wife, Ashley. Plans for a celebration of life will be announced in the days ahead.
