Gina Gatta, a lesbian who publishes the San Francisco-based Damron guide, a trusted resource for L.G.B.T. “But it seems like they want as much attention from gay men as possible.” “The women always say they come to these bars to be left alone,” said Larry Kase, a comedy writer in West Hollywood. And yet, certain longtime patrons remain skeptical. They also acknowledge that straight women have long been their allies and understand that many of them come to avoid the tensions and come-ons they may face at straight bars. The men interviewed for this article stressed that they welcome respectful straight women into the bars, preferably in the company of gay men, lesbians or transgender people. people, and the wider variety of people identifying with “queer” issues, who rightfully owns a space once simply called “gay”? It even begs existential questions: What does it mean to be a gay bar in the age of sexual fluidity? With the mainstreaming of L.G.B.T. The debate over the evolution in the clientele touches on not only the role and history of gay bars, but also on the struggle to weigh the concerns of inclusivity with the need to retain L.G.B.T. Those who do come, regular patrons of gay bars said, tend not to draw much attention to themselves. Straight men enter these environs less frequently, it seems. “It seems like they’re coming in to find their next accessory, like a new handbag.” “They think of us as ‘fun’ and ‘free,’” said Vin Testa, a 27-year-old educator in Washington, D.C. “It’s not at all in concert with what the gay men are there for.” “They use the space to become ‘wild girls,’” said Chris McKenzie, a 35-year-old computer programmer in West Hollywood.