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Free Beer Tomorrow

Free Beer Tomorrow is a documentary film project that tells the story of Jack’s/Summit Station, Ohio’s longest running lesbian owned and operated bar. With interviews from Peter Brown-a classically trained musician turned bar owner- to pioneering LGBTQ+ lawyer and legal scholar, Rhonda R. Rivera, and former patrons running the gamut of tap dancers, professional women’s football players, feminist activists, bartenders and drag kings, the film explores lesbian culture in an era where bars were one of the few safe-havens from an oppressive and homophobic world.

  • Julia Margaret Applegate
    Director
  • LuSter P. Singleton
    Director
  • Julia Margaret Applegate
    Producer
  • LuSter P. Singleton
    Producer
  • J.D. Fitzgerald
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    History, LGBTQ, Women, Queer
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 24 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    155,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Free Beer Tomorrow: Rough Cut
    Columbus
    United States
    April 5, 2025
    N/A
    Best Feature Columbus Pitch Fest 2023
Distribution Information
  • N/A
Director Biography - Julia Margaret Applegate, LuSter P. Singleton

Julia M. Applegate, MA, MPH (she/her pronouns) Director and Producer. Ms. Applegate holds a Master of Arts in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies and a Masters of Public Health, both from The Ohio State University. She holds a BA in Political Science with minors in History and German from Ohio University. Julia was a founding member of H.I.S. Kings (1996) and the International Drag King Community Extravaganza (1999). She has been an HIV and LGBTQ+ health advocate, researcher and administrator for the past 22 years. She has taught Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies classes at Ohio State, Wright State University and Ohio University since 1996. Julia will serve as the primary liaison to the non-profit, LBA and to the community partner, WOSU Public Media.

LuSter P. Singleton, MA (all pronouns) Director and Producer. Mx. Singleton holds a Master of Arts in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University and is currently employed as the Program Manager of Mozaic (a community-based HIV prevention program serving black trans and queer youth at risk for HIV). LuSter was a founding member of H.I.S. Kings (1996) and the International Drag King Community Extravaganza (1999). LuSter has 4 decades of community-based event production experience and will serve as an event coordinator and Production Director.

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Director Statement

Directed by long time co-conspirators, Julia M. Applegate and LuSter P. Singleton, Free Beer Tomorrow captures and preserves decades of oft-overlooked lesbian herstory. Applegate and Singleton were long-time patrons of the bar. Singleton beginning in 1977 and Applegate beginning in 1993. This project is rooted in the disciplines of History and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Generally speaking, the history of the LGBTQ+ community is not well documented. Homophobia, transphobia and stigma are responsible for the absence of robust documentation of contributions made by LGBTQ+ individuals. The work associated with this project will address the void of historical documentation LGBTQ+ history in general and of lesbian history in particular, specifically focusing on the history of lesbian bar culture in central Ohio.
As a discipline History is often just that, 'His' 'Story.' Far too often documented and celebrated history has focused on the accomplishments of white, able-bodied, socio-economically secure, heterosexual, cisgender male people. The filmmakers see this project as an opportunity to expand and support the collection of herstory centered on the achievements and culture of lesbian, queer, bisexual, trans and gender non-conforming, multiracial, poor, and working-class people. The herstory of this community is at grave risk of being lost, thereby perpetuating myopic historical narratives. Our filmmaking approach centers around the critique, deconstruction and dismantling of patriarchal, misogynist, racist, classist, abelist institutions and structures. Deploying an intersectional and social justice approach, this project will serve as an active effort to redress oversights in the celebration and documentation of LGBTQ+ history.