From pulsating gay superclubs to basement drag cabarets and dimly-lit lesbian bars, the new coronavirus has shuttered LGBT+ nightlife venues worldwide, with some already forced to close permanently while others are scrambling to avoid the same fate.
As strict shutdowns have dried up cash to pay vital bills and wages, the future of a vibrant nightlife scene - already hit by rising rents and competition from dating apps before the pandemic - now hangs in the balance, industry figures said.
That will leave gay, bisexual and transgender people with fewer safe spaces to express themselves freely, meet like-minded friends and find respite from the discrimination they often experience in their day-to-day lives, bar and club owners said.
"LGBTQ venues are our own churches. It's where we form and nurture our community and the individuals within that," said John Sizzle, a "Drag DJ" who co-owns The Glory, an LGBT+ bar in east London known for its avant-garde cabaret acts.
