Beca Pressing On Beans Bar’s 1st Birthday & Supporting Queer Venues
Image: Owner Beca Pressing at Beans Bar. Photo: Supplied
Beans Bar is the first of its kind in Melbourne – a dedicated space for women who like women, transgender and non-binary people, which prioritises accessibility and the needs of neurodivergent people.
The owner of this lush, comforting queer space is the stunning and whip-smart Beca Pressing.
A bisexual and neurodivergent woman herself, Beca saw the significant gap in the market; a need for this kind of space. And it all began because of a joke she made on Tiktok, of all things.
“I made a joke about starting a neurodivergent lesbian bar on Tiktok, which went viral,” says Beca.
She explains that of the thousands of comments, half were a buzz of queer excitement, people begging her to genuinely open the bar. The other half, as the internet is wont to do, was trolls telling Beca she shouldn’t – or wouldn’t be able to – do it.
“And as someone with ADHD, the best way to make sure I succeed at something is tell me I can’t do it,” she laughs. “I have zero background in business and had no idea how to open a bar – but I made it happen!”
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But Beca says that queer venues are doing it tough right now, evidenced by the sheer number of our venues shuttering around the globe. “It was clear to me that a space like this was needed,” says Beca. “Especially now.”
“As a community, we do need to make sure we’re supporting queer businesses,” she says. “I know with the cost of living crisis times are tough for all of us right now – but support is not just about spending money, it’s about community and showing up.”
There’s enormous power in our community’s collective strength – there’s nary a gay bar owner who would prefer just one person showing up and buying hundreds of dollars worth of expensive drinks, over 100 queers all showing up and each ordering a single happy hour pint.
“You don’t have to spend a lot. Even if you buy a single drink – you’ve shown up for us. That’s what matters.”
Beans Bar Melbourne is turning one
This month Beans Bar is turning one year old, and the venue is hosting a day of birthday celebrations on May 25. From 2pm there’s a free ‘Makers Market’, with stalls featuring locally made items from LGBTQI+ designers and makers. Then in the evening there’s a house party, featuring live performances, goodies bags, prizes, and more.
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‘1 Year of Beans’ is on May 25 at Beans Bar – 325 Smith Street, Fitzroy. You can find more details and buy tickets via beansbar.com.au.
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