Venue: The Q
Town: New York, US

The Q was a multilevel LGBTQ nightclub in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Backed by celebrity investors including Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto, the club was billed as "the largest queer-owned and -operated nightlife venue in Manhattan". It was known for its five distinctly themed rooms and for its entertainment selection, which featured A-list comedians, prominent local drag queens, burlesque acts and jazz bands. The establishment was originally set to open in 2020, but its debut was pushed to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2022, Frankie Sharp-one of the club's three founding owners-filed a lawsuit against the other two, Alan Picus and Bob Fluet. The club shuttered in March 2023 in the aftermath of the legal proceedings. During its operation, the Q garnered praise from critics, who have described it as innovative, inclusive and chic. Located on Eighth Avenue near 48th Street in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, the Q was a four-story venue containing five distinct clubbing areas. Frankie Sharp, who co-founded the club, stated to Thrillist and Queerty that it was "the largest queer-owned and -operated nightlife venue in Manhattan". Live music and performances took place on the Q's ground level, which was outfitted with parquet floors, booths and mirrors. The second floor, styled like a lounge, contained a bar and a "'Gentlethem's Club' nestled behind a tufted wall". The top level was an open clubbing space with 20-foot (6.1-meter) ceilings, a suspended catwalk, a high DJ platform and decorative LED screens bearing the venue's emblem. In some areas, the walls were adorned with graffiti, queer movie posters and sexual artwork, including a Tom of Finland mural and a drawing of "a buff Ned Flanders from The Simpsons with protruding nipples". The establishment hosted a number of weekly drag and music shows, which starred "prominent local entertainers like jazz musician Richard Cortez and drag