Sun Trapp

The SunTrapp
The bar's exterior in 2021
Interactive map of The SunTrapp
AddressSalt Lake City, Utah
United States
Coordinates40°46′1.1″N 111°54′30.8″W / 40.766972°N 111.908556°W / 40.766972; -111.908556
Type

The SunTrapp is a gay bar and nightclub in Salt Lake City, Utah.[1] It is considered to be the oldest gay bar in Utah.[2] As of 2 December 2025, The SunTrapp is the first unionized bar in the state of Utah.

History

The SunTrapp was founded in 1973.[2]

In 2020, the SunTrapp closed for 42 days and had to restructure staff shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4] Half of staff were laid off.[5] The business joined a lawsuit to challenge alcohol sales rules during the pandemic.[6][7]

In September 2025, SunTrapp Workers United, a proposed union of SunTrapp employees with the Communications Workers of America Local 7765, petitioned the owner of the bar, Mary Peterson, to voluntarily recognize the union.[8] Shortly thereafter, Peterson fired, then rehired, several of the workers involved in the unionization drive.[2][8] Unionizing workers went on an Unfair Labor Practice strike on 3 October 2025.

On 31 October 2025, the SunTrapp announced that it was closing for business, citing financial strain from the ongoing strike as the reason.[2][8]

On 2 December 2025, The SunTrapp reopened after owner Mary Peterson voluntarily recognized the SunTrapp Workers Unite union, and striking bar staff workers returned to work. This marks the very first unionized bar in the state of Utah.

References

  1. ↑ "A gay bar has lost its owner — but this safe place for Utah's LGBT community isn't going anywhere". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2021-05-06."Police respond to 'shots fired' at Salt Lake LGBT bar The Sun Trapp". QSaltLake Magazine. 2020-09-19. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sainato, Michael (2025-11-09). "Utah's oldest LGBTQ+ bar closes amid workers' union push: 'We feel extremely disposable'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2025-11-09. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  3. ↑ Lee, Jasen (2020-11-10). "Coronavirus closing time order likely to have a major impact on bars and restaurants". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  4. ↑ "Bars and employees struggling to make ends meet under new COVID-19 restrictions". KSTU. 2020-11-13. Archived from the original on 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  5. ↑ Knox, Annie (2020-12-11). "10 businesses sue Utah governor over 10 p.m. liquor sales cutoff". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  6. ↑ Harris, Jeremy (2020-11-23). "SLC bar owners plan to sue over state's restriction of alcohol sales after 10pm". KUTV. Archived from the original on 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  7. ↑ "Utah governor lifts alcohol curfew, bars consider dismissing lawsuit". ABC4 Utah. 2020-12-17. Archived from the original on 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  8. 1 2 3 Marchant, Brock; McCann, Sheila; Egan, Rick (2025-11-01). "As historic LGBTQ+ bar closes in SLC, owner and union organizers say they both hope to find 'a path forward'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sun Trapp.


This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.