While elders may complain that the Bonham don’t feel as gay as they used to be, the club’s open-door policy has undoubtedly contributed to its remarkable endurance as a safe space for everyone to enjoy.

Within LGBTQ + circles of a certain age, everyone has a legendary story set in the iconic venue – whether it’s diving into a free jar of ecstasy (which was legal until 1985) or witnessing a live performance of one of the many artists who have graced Bonham’s scene, from punk pioneers Ramones to drag queen herself, RuPaul. Ninety years after opening its doors, it has evolved into a very different type of club in the hands of visionary San Antonio developer and gay nightlife instigator Arthur “Happy” Veltman.

For starters, the downtown monument is housed in a late 19th-century structure first used as a German athletics club. The Bonham Exchange, however, undeniably deserves these terms. Superlatives like “legendary” and “iconic” are far too often used these days to describe people, places and things that are arguably not extraordinary.