Historic US gay bar announces temporary closure following the death of owner
"For more than 20 years, Ron made Leon's a place so many people were proud to call home. He will be deeply missed," wrote Leon's of Baltimore
By Aaron Sugg
Leon’s of Baltimore, the oldest gay bar in Baltimore and the second-oldest gay bar in the US, has announced it is temporarily closing following the death of its longtime owner, Ron Singer.
Singer died on 7 July 2026 at the age of 66, with no official cause of death revealed.
He had owned the bar for more than 20 years and was widely regarded as a central figure in Baltimore’s LGBTQ+ community.
Leon’s of Baltimore announces the death of owner Ron Singer
Leon’s of Baltimore announced his death in a social media tribute, writing: “With heavy hearts, we share the passing of our owner, Ron Singer.”
“For more than 20 years, Ron made Leon’s a place so many people were proud to call home. He will be deeply missed.”
In light of Singer’s death, the bar closed at midnight the following day to allow staff to attend his funeral last Friday.
Leon’s of Baltimore closes its doors
“Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time. We look forward to honouring Ron’s legacy by keeping Leon’s the place we all know and love,” the post continued.
Following Singer’s passing, Leon’s of Baltimore switched to a cash-only system to help operations during the transition following the loss of its owner.
The team later announced it would temporarily close while navigating the loss.
Leon’s of Baltimore is trying to reopen as “fast as possible”
“As many of you know, losing Ron has been a profound loss for this amazing community,” the bar wrote on social media.
“To honour his memory and navigate this business transition, we have made the decision to temporarily close our doors starting tomorrow,” it added, officially closing its doors on 16 July.
“We are trying our very best to reopen as fast as possible,” the team wrote. “We love and thank you all for the incredible support.”
Singer’s legacy
Singer was remembered for his generosity, including hosting an annual free Thanksgiving meal for people with nowhere else to go and providing a welcoming space for Baltimore’s LGBTQ+ community.
Leon’s of Baltimore opened in 1957. Even before then, when it operated under the name Leon Lampe, it had become a safe space for queer people.