The gay country-western bar, which has provided line-dancing and a watering hole for the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles's Studio City neighborhood for 52 years, was sold in December to a new owner who plans to convert it into a venue with jazz music, according to owner John Fagan. Quoting Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, it declared that perhaps a reasoning for its unjust closure would be found 'Some where over the Rainbow.' Due to pandemic restrictions, the 1851 Club had been forced to operate at 50 percent capacity and required masks of patrons. The establishment posted that it was not eligible for the aid offered to small business during the recession. There comes a time when we just have to face the truth and close the door.' 'We have exhausted any and every route to try to save our home. Secrets were kept, loves were lost, true LIVES were found. 'A place where we can all feel accepted, be ourselves and feel safe. 'For so many years the 1851 club has been our home away from home,' the post read. The bar was known for its drag shows, Pride parties, and a days-long annual New Year's celebration. The 1851 Club, which for decades operated as a Cheers-style watering hole for the local LGBTQ+ community, announced the sad news to its patrons in a January 2021 Facebook post. The only gay bar in Arlington, Tex., has shuttered due to the pandemic.