News / Society

Should bars be held more accountable for any racism experienced in their establishments?

The manager of the popular bar requested their then graphic designer from the LGBTQ publication Metro Weekly to produce a flyer for an Olympic-themed happy hour. When the proof was forwarded to the manager, David Perruzza, he requested that the image be changed to a “hot white guy” instead of a black man because “[t]hat’s more of our clientele.”

The image never came out and the bar ultimately decided to remove the black model from the image and use no one. But this past week this exchange has quickly become just another piece of evidence to queer people of color in Washington, D.C, and even across the US, that LGBTQ bars continue to be a place where people of color are not welcome.

PHOTO: GOOGLE.COM

Black and brown LGBTQ people, in particular, understand the importance of security that is conscious of their experiences. Like the paid staff of the 11 bars and clubs required to enroll in sensitivity trainings in the Gayborhood, it’s also critical that security-even independent contractors-are trained in accordance with PCHR's groundbreaking guidance. But because much of the security is contracted, and not paid staff, they may miss important trainings. Sotland, however, is pushing to ensure that any worker who touches his facilities will be trained. "As bar owners, we are now going through mandated implicit bias trainings, but we are also encouraging our security to undergo this training-a training they aren’t technically mandated to attend," Sotland notes. This is a start but gay bars have room to grow to provide actual safe spaces for LGBTQ patrons of color.

PHOTO: M-MAENNER.DE

In the meantime, we can learn something from Philadelphia’s black LGBTQ residents, who demanded equitable treatment directly from the people that have rendered safe spaces no longer safe. People taking power, especially money, out of the hands of owners have usually been an effective solution for change. Bar owners like Ed Bailey-who have openly admitted to and apologized for past mistakes and arguably racist history of Number Nine DC-has committed himself to being more open about his white privilege and taking that into account when hiring bartenders. Recently, Bailey has started discussions with Jessica Raven, Executive Director of Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS), on training staff in responding to aggression-from anti-black and anti-Muslim racism to sexual and gender-based harassment. But, more is needed and bar owners can start within their own staff.