I have talked about this “omnisexual” bar trend in several past columns, with local spots like Universal and The Ruby Room at the top of the list. But let’s face it, all this omnisexual craze does is bring straight people into the “gayborhood” bars. This certainly is not a bad thing, but what would happen if we wanted to venture out of our safety net called Hillcrest/North Park? How would we fare if we just decided Stingaree or PB Bar & Grill were to become omnisexual? I’m not sure how well that would work out.

Enter Guerilla Queer Bar (GQB). Based loosely on a model used in other cities across the nation, GQB’s goal is “gays going forth into ‘straight’ atmospheres and having a cocktail,” according to Nicholaus Norvell, one of the local organizers. Norvell summarizes the event well: “GQB is a fun, monthly, semi-underground event where gays and lesbian descend on an unsuspecting straight bar or club and turn it gay for a night. The idea behind it is to be visible and engaged and create new spaces for LGBT people to go out and have a beer or dance the night away.”

The day before the event, the location is announced and the bar becomes “gay” for the evening. Participants meet up at the announced bar, drink it up, and hopefully, engage in conversations with non-GQB patrons. GQB participants are simply encouraged to have fun, as the event is about engagement, not confrontation. This model has worked well in cities like San Francisco, Boston, New York, Boston, and Denver. According to Norvell, a recent GQB gathering in Boston attracted 1,000 participants as they “took over” one of the largest nightclubs in Massachusetts.

Norvell has been “floating around” the idea of bringing GQB to San Diego for some time. After the passage of Proposition 8, a new energy has erupted and leaves the perfect opportunity for something like GQB to work well. Norvell has teamed up with friend and local activist Carlos Marquez to organize the San Diego events. The duo believes that it is important for the GLBT community to remain visible and engaged across the entire San Diego region and believe that GQB is a fun and easy way to it. In November, right after Proposition 8 passed, I wrote about how our local gay bars had once again become hubs of activism – people were discussing issues, connecting, networking, and promoting rally and march events at the bars. Rich’s nightclub even opened its door to host a volunteer training event for the Nov. 15, 2008, equality march and rally. GQB has the opportunity to thrive off of this energy and take it outside of the “gayborhood” and onto the “straight streets”.

The first GQB “take over” event is scheduled for the evening of Friday, Jan. 16. The selected location will be announced through GQB San Diego’s online networks, including a Google Groups e-mail list, and pages on Facebook and MySpace. Across these networks, the organizers have gathered about 400 people to receive online updates. Norvell and Marquez plan to do in-person outreach and promotions this weekend at bars and clubs to collect e-mail addresses for updates.

Norvell and Marquez will consider 100 participants a great success for the first month, and hope to add on to that each month. Also, the organizers don’t plan to show-up completely unannounced. Bar owners will be given a bit of advance notice so they can plan to staff appropriately. Let’s show them the power of the gay dollar! Drink up (safely), tip well, and be a respectful bar patron. Norvell and Marquez are certain that the selected venues will appreciate GQB’s patronage.

I am excited about GQB! I have heard about such events for a number of years, and was hoping someone would bring the concept to San Diego. While I encourage you to continue to support our local gay businesses and bars, especially in the current economic climate, it is important to be visible outside of the ‘hood every so often! If you are not yet connected with GQB, visit www.facebook.com, www.myspace.com, or groups.google.com, and search for “Guerrilla Queer Bar San Diego.” Be sure to join the Google Group or add the Facebook/MySpace page to receive updates.

While we wait for GQB, be sure to cheer on our hometown team, the Chargers, this weekend.

Hawthorn’s Restaurant & Lounge will host a viewing party as the Chargers battle the Steelers Sunday, Jan. 11. Come early and try their wonderful brunch, too! The best part is their tasty $3 mimosas will be served all day. For more information, visit www.hawthornssd.com.