Fubar is legendary in Los Angeles, as one of the great gay dive bars in the city, and BFD (an abbreviation for “Big Fat ___,” you fill in the blank) is their most famous party. For 18 years, each and every Thursday night, BFD has packed in “drunk homos and those who love them,” according to their slogan, and the draw is a combination of hot go-go dancers, good music, and a general lack of L.A. attitude.
The “BFD” name is a nod to the weekly contests, were patrons are encouraged to have their naked naughty body parts photographed by bar staff, and those photos are insta-printed and hung on a clothesline above the bar. The crowd votes on the best pics, by applause. Winning these contests is a major source of bragging rights in L.A., presuming the contestants aren’t too drunk to remember what they did.
BFD promoter Mario Diaz has a strict “no cameras” policy, to encourage inappropriate behavior and questionable judgment, without the threat of photographic evidence popping up on some stranger’s Instagram account. But over the years, he has cataloged family-style photos of his go-go dancers, who dress in different themes each week.
We can’t show most of the photos of what his dancers have worn over the years, but we were able to sneak some past our censors, and they are posted below. And yes, even after 18 years, BFD is still fun, tawdry, and popular as ever. Cheers, Mario.
GayCities can be contacted at danrenzi@gaycities.com.
