Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where queer spaces were scarce and discretion often meant survival, Teddy Bear’s quietly did something extraordinary. Part gay bar, part lodging, it offered more than drinks and a bed for the night — it offered refuge. For LGBTQ travelers, servicemen, locals, and anyone passing through Biloxi looking for connection, Teddy Bear’s was a place where you could finally let your guard down.
Operating during the mid-to-late 20th century, Teddy Bear’s filled a crucial gap in the Deep South: a destination where queerness wasn’t hidden, even if it had to be understated. The bar fostered conversation, companionship, and community; the lodging made it possible to stay — safely — in a region where options were limited or nonexistent.
