Holiday is over

Holiday Bar, a gay bar in Oakland that played a pivotal role in AIDS research, is closing next month.

Doors will shut on Sunday, April 29, ending decades of social change in Pittsburgh's gay community.

In the early 80s, when AIDS was in its infancy, a small group of University of Pittsburgh researchers set out to gather information on the disease and its effects on the local gay men. The pilot project, now known as the Pitt Men's Study, has roots in several gay bars, one of which is the Holiday Bar.

Patrons would roll up their sleeves and donate blood in exchange for free beer and the hope of a cure.

Researchers formed an alliance with staff and paid them to attend AIDS education classes to better inform patrons about the disease. Posters promoting the study were hung in the bar, encouraging customers to attend. The grassroots recruiting scheme worked. The project eventually garnered a $4 million grant and national recognition in HIV/AIDS research.

Several of 70 original PMS participants are healthy and continue to be studied at their Oakland office. Many volunteer at local AIDS groups, including the Shepherd Wellness Community, the only AIDS community in Western Pennsylvania that offers quality of life and education programs for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Holiday Bar, 4620 Forbes Ave, Oakland, 412-682-8598