Buddies (Buffalo Gay Bar/70's to 2000's)

Buddies — Buffalo Gay Bar Sweatshirt

Buddies was exactly the kind of neighborhood gay bar its name suggested: friendly, unpretentious, and full of familiar faces.

Located at 31 Johnson Park in Buffalo, New York, Buddies was a popular gay gathering place from the late 1970s into the early 2000s. With its relaxed sports-bar atmosphere, it offered an alternative to the city's dance clubs and late-night discos. Sometimes you just wanted a beer, a familiar bartender, and somebody to talk to.

And this was Buffalo, so naturally hockey was involved. Buddies attracted gay sports fans, including plenty of Sabres supporters, who could watch a game, meet friends, and enjoy a neighborhood bar where being gay and loving sports weren't mutually exclusive.

Buddies was also part of Buffalo's larger LGBTQ+ community, which had developed its own thriving network of bars, organizations, Pride celebrations, and social gatherings. During the 1990s, Johnson Park was part of the city's gay nightlife geography, and Buddies became a familiar stop for locals and visitors alike.

There was something particularly important about bars like this. Not every gay establishment needed a dance floor, drag show, or dark backroom. Sometimes the most valuable thing was simply a regular neighborhood bar where everybody knew you were gay and nobody particularly cared.

The building eventually became home to 31 Club, but Buddies remains part of the history of Buffalo's gay social life—a reminder of the places where friendships, relationships, and entire communities were built over a few drinks.