This was a really thought-provoking read.
The gay bar in my city closed down during the pandemic, and then reopened a few months later under the same owner, but rebranded as an arcade bar. It's definitely still an overtly queer-friendly place; gender neutral bathrooms, drag shows, sex toy bingo nights, etc... but I definitely felt more people glaring at me after the switch. Cishet gamer dudes aren't as used to seeing AMAB people in dresses, I guess.
I still feel safe there, but I generally feel safe in most places where I live. I do miss having a place where my queerness didn't even merit a second thought.