WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Mondays are a drag wherever you are. But especially at the Abbey.

Which is why the famed gay bar in West Hollywood is one Sean Panzer’s favorite places to blow off steam.

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“I love coming and seeing the queens like, do what they do best,” Panzer told Spectrum News 1. 

It started off as just another night out with friends. But in recent years, Panzer's monthly ritual has taken on a much deeper meaning.

"I think nights like this celebrate who we are,” he said.  

The last few years have seen a dramatic rise in hate crimes against LGBTQ people. According to a recent report by the FBI, incidents targeting gay males increased by nearly 7 percent last year, and anti-transgender hate crimes rose nearly 34 percent.

An openly gay man from Sherman Oaks, Panzer has been carefully weighing his options for the 2020 election. He’s leaning towards Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

The out mayor of South Bend, Indiana has rocked the political establishment in recent days, surging 16 points to land at top of the Democratic field in Iowa.

“To see the first openly gay candidate as a frontrunner in a poll, I honestly wasn’t sure if America was ready for this,” Panzer said. 

He’s been following the impeachment hearings but says his focus is on 2020. The next debate, he says, will be crucial to making his decision. 

“I hope they keep it civil," he said. "I feel like the questioning in the last couple of debates hasn’t fostered that kind of civil discussion that I would like to see from the candidates."