Geri Bonillas

Kymn Goldstein interviews Geri Bonillas about her experiences working at The Palms and as a participant in lesbian nightlife along Santa Monica Boulevard. Bonillas got her first bartending job at The Palms when it was still primarily a straight neighborhood bar. Bonillas describes how manager Norma gradually turned the bar into a lesbian space. She also discusses coming out at age twenty-five after leaving a straight marriage, moving to Hollywood with her child, and finding a new lesbian community at The Palms.

Bonillas discusses The Palms’ reputation for beautiful women patrons and its significance to the lesbian community. She discusses other LGBTQ bars and clubs, including the Bacchanal, Peanuts, Club 22, and the Farm. She also recalls musicians visiting The Palms from nearby hotels and clubs, including stories she heard about Janis Joplin drinking there. She also speaks about relationships she formed through the bar, including with her former partner Ronnie, and her struggles with substance abuse. She describes her first experience with Alcoholics Anonymous and the difficulty of bartending while becoming sober. After Norma left, Bonillas became the Palms’ manager, and she later worked at Basix, the Studio City Bar and Grill, and the Rawhide. She ends by reflecting on lifelong friendships from the bar community and the way walking into a lesbian bar made her feel.