The history of the Hippo is not simply celebratory, however. But in May, owner Charles 'Chuck' Bowers confirmed that the club would be closing and the space would turn into a CVS. The Hippo is more than a bar-it is a community institution.
Its Halloween parties are epic celebrations of queer creativity, and as the host of many drag and leather pageants, the Hippo has been home for parts of the queer community that have struggled to find a home anywhere else. Early fundraisers for AIDS were held here, and the bar's regular Gay Bingo nights and annual 12 Days of Christmas parties have raised money for a variety of nonprofits. The Hippo opened in the summer of 1972, and in the ensuing years, the bar has been the setting for Pride block parties, for political organizing, for first kisses and last breakups.
