The Silver Platter is the oldest Latinx LGBTQ+ bar in Los Angeles. Can it survive eviction?

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The Silver Platter may be the oldest existing Latinx bar for LGBTQ+ people in Los Angeles, but it’s not just a bar; it’s a living piece of local history.Established in 1963, the Silver Platter has served as a sanctuary for Spanish-speaking gay Latinos, transgender Latinas and working-class immigrants in the Westlake district.There, customers find community and acceptance for who they are.Yet now, after many years of supporting this diverse community, the bar faces demolition.On a typical Friday or Saturday night, the bar can expect up to 200 patrons, many of whom are longtime regulars.

They catch up on neighborhood gossip, or sing along to pop, disco and Latin rock.Owner Margarita Xatruch not only cooks for her customers, but also acts as a surrogate mother of sorts.“For [many in] this community, they don’t have family here, some [members of] our trans community don’t have a family that accepts them,” said Xatruch’s daughter Martha Vasquez, who runs the bar with her mother.

“It is a very hard and sad time, but to share a place or have somewhere to go, that you’re not by yourself, brings a feeling of acceptance.“It’s like the Hispanic [version of] ‘Cheers’ where everybody kind of knows everybody, but it’s also a very welcoming space,” Vasquez added, referencing the American sitcom.Last August, Vasquez was going to help her mother at the Silver Platter as usual, when she saw a note stating that the building would be demolished.She later learned the landlord intended to build affordable housing there.

Vasquez was told she would be given an update at a later date, and in January, her family’s business received an official eviction notice.Although they originally settled on a Nov.

30 move-out date, the landlord has extended their stay until March 1.Roussin Capital Group, who owns the building, did not respond to a request for comment.Vasquez said the...