Jason Shokrian

Angela Brinskele and Camelia Brieanne Heins interview Jason Shokrian, former owner of The Normandie Room and The Palms, about the bars’ histories and their place in West Hollywood’s lesbian and LGBTQ community. Shokrian opened the Normandie Room in 1993 with the support of his then-partner, Lucy Boyer. Although he did not initially intend to create a lesbian bar, women supported the cozy and familial space after facing discrimination at other venues. By the late 1990s, the Normandie Room had become a predominantly lesbian bar that welcomed gay and straight patrons alike. Shokrian famously advertised the bar with the phrase “No homophobes, no heterophobes, no assholes.”

Shokrian also discusses purchasing The Palms around 1999 after longtime owners Jack and Butch offered to sell it to him. He contrasts the quiet and conversational Normandie Room with the nightclub atmosphere of The Palms. He reflects on his pride in his staff and their approach to creating the best possible customer experience. He discusses birthdays and anniversaries held at the bar, and busy times including Pride and Halloween. He closed The Normandie Room to spend more time with his family.