Some oppose plan to move historic LGBTQ+ bar into their L.A. community

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Set us as preferred Every school day, Vilma Armas watches her 16-year old daughter walk to Miguel Contreras Learning Complex from their apartment near the corner of Lucas Avenue and West 3rd Street.It’s the same intersection where the Silver Platter, a historic LGBTQ+ Latino bar, wants to relocate.The mother is opposed to the proposal and she’s not alone as many of her neighbors and the Los Angeles Unified School District have raised concerns about opening a bar near six school campuses in the Westlake neighborhood.“It’s just not a good decision to open that there,” Armas said.“We’re against it for the safety of our children and ourselves, too.”At a July 14 hearing, city staff with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning heard the proposal to relocate the Silver Platter after its longtime location on 7th Street was slated for demolition for a new housing development.Multiple neighbors were unable to speak up during the virtual hearing because of their work schedules, language barriers, age and difficulty navigating the online meeting’s comment system.

The bar’s owners have applied for a permit to sell alcoholic beverages and install a 15-foot neon sign at the new location on West 3rd Street.No decision was made at the hearing.Instead, the zoning administrator left the public record open for 30 days to allow additional written comments before issuing a decision.City staff are balancing the bar’s cultural and historical significance with concerns raised by the Los Angeles Unified School District and residents about parking, noise, traffic and public safety.Supporters argue the bar is an irreplaceable cultural institution and a safe place for Spanish-speaking gay Latinos, transgender Latinas and working-class immigrants.“This is not a new bar coming to the neighborhood,” said Martha Vasquez, who r...