Both 34 and from Virginia, the pair wanted to create a casual hangout that’s welcoming to all members of the LGBTQ community, regardless of age or gender identity.Ĭuties’ plight comes at a time when Los Angeles has lost some of its most beloved queer-owned establishments: Bar Mattachine in downtown L.A. This is what Cuties owners Virginia Bauman and Iris Bainum-Houle intended when they opened the business in July 2017. “In so many ways, Cuties is absolutely the reason why I’ve been able to survive in L.A.,” said Fields, who moved here from Chicago three years ago. The cafe offers her a rare opportunity to show off an outfit without anxiety and to let her guard down.
At worst, she fears becoming the target of violence in a country where at least 28 transgender people were killed in 2017.īut when the 24-year-old PhD student wears something flashy to Cuties Coffee in East Hollywood, that fear is displaced by excitement. Before she leaves her house in a dress or skirt, or anything else perceived as feminine, Willow Fields braces for a hard day.Īt best, she expects to be gawked at and misgendered by cashiers and ride-hail drivers.
