La Mutinerie has been providing a safe space for LGBTQIA people since 2012
BY HANNAH GARNER (SHE/HER)
Walk into Paris’ La Mutinerie and it looks like a grungy bar. The fold-up chairs clearly show you are not in one of Paris’ traditional cafes. But the light is warm and welcoming.
If you did not know, you would believe La Mutinerie is a pop-up. But it is a queer Paris institution, open every day, 5 pm – 1.30 am since 2012.
Head to the bar and you will see a Pat Robertson quote on a tote: “Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.” It’s tongue in cheek, playing on traditional societal fears, but it’s also a wink at La Mutinerie’s ideals.
Today there’s a long queue outside. For the bar, you might think, but no. They are waiting for a pop-up tattoo and piercing parlour, one of the events La Mutinerie regularly holds.
La Mutinerie is a lesbian bar, yes. But it is more than that, as the posters inside and out show. It also hosts a self-defence school (pay what you can), a trans health clinic, and bi/pan association support nights among others. La Mutinerie is about inclusivity and supporting the LGBTQIA community.
Claire (she/her), one of six employees with equal salaries and votes on managing the bar, told DIVA the bar has “social missions”, which include welcoming everyone and accessibility.
“For example, the price of a pint has not changed in 12 years,” she said, so there is an “entry-level drink” for everyone. However, with poverty an issue for the LGBTQIA community, all La Mutinerie events are free and people are not forced to buy drinks. “Isolation is a big problem for our community,” she noted, and the bar never wants people to feel financially excluded.
Jane* (she/her), a trans woman, told DIVA how La Mutinerie helped when she transitioned and spoke warmly of its importance to the LBT+ community.
“If you go to the Marais there’s a lot of gay bars for the boys, but outside the male gay community, there’s not much else that’s stuck around,” she said, referencing the fleeting nature of lesbian and queer bars, with finances often an issue.
La Mutinerie is no exception, with orders to close overnight in 2018 because of soundproofing issues. The mayor of Paris intervened, giving three months to solve the problem, and Claire said the community raised vital funds.
“We also saw what La Mutinerie means to people,” she said. “Obviously it is important to us, but we didn’t know its importance for others”.
Today La Mutinerie is in trouble. COVID-19 and fewer patrons during the Olympics mean it has three months to stave off bankruptcy. It was reluctantly, Claire said, that on 1 September they announced the news on Instagram, and asked the community for help once more. While the bar is always happy for donations via its link, Claire said what they really want is for “people to come drink at La Mutinerie”.
So, if you are in Paris, stop by this iconic LGBTQIA bar, check out the events, and grab a drink. But above all, feel welcome, and have a great time – don’t worry, they speak English!
La Mutinerie is located at 176-178 Rue Saint-Martin, 75003 in Paris.
The donation link is: helloasso.com/associations/association-fmiqf/formulaires/1
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Bon chance! Mes amies.