'Most people here have come out of the closet, or when they first turned 21, the first place they go to was always Feathers,' Binetti said. Since then, visiting the club has remained a rite of passage for LGBTQ+ New Jerseyans in coming out. The club has raised about $15,000 of a $75,000 goal.Ĭlub Feathers recently marked its 42nd anniversary it opened June 21, 1978. Four employees remain from a staff of 26.īinetti launched a GoFundMe last week because 'it has become clear that without everyone’s help we may have to close the doors forever,' the description read. To date, at least 174,000 have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and 15,000 have died.Īs a result, Club Feathers only sees about 50 customers every week, down from a high of 1,500. The Garden State only recently flattened its curve after experiencing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. But the Democrat delayed the next phase after the pandemic resurged in states like California and Arizona. Phil Murphy had originally planned to allow indoor dining Thursday. 'We’re dying here,' owner Paul Binetti told The Record , an N.J. New Jersey's oldest gay nightclub, located in River Edge, is on the brink of closure due to the economic fallout of the current health crisis. Without the help of the community, Club Feathers may soon be plucked.
