Texas’s oldest continuously operating gay bar, Robert’s Lafitte, could close within weeks as mounting repair costs and code violations threaten its future. Employees told Chron.com that the bar urgently needs plumbing and ceiling repairs after inspections by the Galveston County Health District and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Bartender Terry Lynn Fuller told Chron that the bar likely needs more than $10K to stay open. Opened in 1965, this historic venue has long served LGBTQ and allied communities in Galveston. Bar’s show director Tiffany de la Vega has been self-funding some repairs and has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $5K goal to help cover immediate needs, including repairs, permits, and overdue taxes.
