The narrator has nowhere to go and ends up sleeping wherever she can. Eventually, her co-worker, Gloria, gives her the name of a local gay bar, Abba. There, the narrator makes several new friends, most of whom are African-American. They give the narrator books to read, such as Baldwin and DuBois, hoping to make her more aware of the ways they are doubly persecuted for being both gay and black. One night, the bar is raided by the cops and Jess and a friend, Ed, are badly beaten. It takes them both time to heal and recover and when the narrator is finally well, she is asked to be the Master of Ceremonies at an Upcoming Drag Show. The night is one of happiness and self-acceptance until again the bar is raided. Jess is raped by the cops. 

The narrator struggles to deal with life after the rape. Her friends, Peaches and Betty, care for her and help her get a job waiting tables at the Malibu, which is nearby. It takes time for the narrator to feel ready to connect, to speak. When a relationship with a friend, Toni, suddenly sours and verges on a fistfight, the narrator again feels betrayed and misplaced.