Miracle writes

If gays and lesbian could keep straight people out then there is nothing to stop straight people keeping gays and lesbians out- surely then this would set back everything generations of lesbians and gays have fought for? Equal rights?

You cannot have it both ways- you cannot expect to ban straight people and not have straight people ban gays and lesbians- if we get banned and we call it discrimination….what is it when you ban straight people?…surely that is also then discrimination?

Also what is the most often asked question on the sofa?……Usually it is how do you know if someone is gay?…..If a room full of lesbians cannot answer that question how is a door person?…The only way they could decide on ‘looks’…you look gay and you don’t….this means every country woman dressed in jeans and boots with short hair would be allowed in a gay club!

Way too difficult- wouldn’t it be easier simply to have a private club like candy lips that is allowed to limit and select clientele?….Li

mojo0400 writes

I agree Miracle. Too discriminatory - would set back the gay movement 50 years!

How can one tell if one is gay? I have very femme friends who could easily pass as 'straight' women. Please!

Heres to equal rights!

Mojo

Ostara writes

How would you regard a bar that said
"no gays or lesbians" ? The reverse seems no less discriminating to me -
and the thing I dislike about it is it reinforces "the divide" between gay and straight people - which surely is something gays and lesbians have wanted to break down
historically (in the last centuary).I feel anything reinforcing divisions between people is generally bad news (and there are
enough other things doing that -
eg. religeon, race, class, caste, gender....) Ostara.

Nessie65 writes

Absolutely not..discrimination is discrimination no matter how you butter it up..its not acceptable full stop..

JustSimplyMe writes

Sure, a gay and lesbian bar is somewhere you can meet women, flirt shamelessly, etc; but in my opinion, a bar is also someplace to relax with your friends as well. I've been blessed with a heck of a lot of straight, supportive friends and I'll be damned if I can't have a drink with them while scoping out the "honey"s.

devlyn writes

Let them look I say, after all I dont mind sometimes looking at str8 women.
I thought I was str8 before I realised I wasnt.
If we expect equal rights for all, then this needs to extend to gays accepting hetro's.
Is it right that gay mens bars should exclude lesbians?
Should lesbians be able to exclude gay men from public venues.
The more money hetro's bring into these bars, the better off we all are.

Marooned 5 writes

Sunpeaches and ChantalK here. We go to the gay and lesbian bars to feel at home. If straight people are going to be there... party with us... don't stare... have fun... and be respectful... If we don't feel at home we are not going to stay or come back... When we go with our straight friends to straight bars we don't make a big lesbian scene... out of respect. We just want our space to be free!!! Everyone Agree?

SaWaddiKa writes

Right on Nessie65, We can't fight discrimination by participating in it.

Angela

Must-Love-Cats writes

You can't expect acceptance unless you are willing to give it.

bonnie333 writes

How do they tell if you are gay or not???

-Bo- writes

i don't like discriminating either, i have nothing against str8 ppl, bi, transgender ....

what i am sooo fed up with, is going out to a gay bar and having Straight men grab me, rub their dicks on me, tell me how hot they think i am and try to put moves on me. i am sooo sick of it..

So as much as i hate saying it, i would prefer to be able to go out and dance and party with gay ppl, and NOT be hit on, rubbed up against.

I don't go to str8 bars and rub my breasts all over women and invade their personal space.

Nemo99 writes

I disagree with any kind of discrimination - one gay bar here in London went through a phase of being 'gays-only', and they'd ask you on the door if you were gay. How did they expect you to prove it? They questioned any women who wasn't sterotypically 'butch' looking!

Having said this, I can't abide - and don't understand - straight couples who come to gay venues and seem to think they're a free-for-all, snogging away and groping each other on the dance floor! Bizarre behaviour, and, IMHO, offensive, in a gay establishment.

So yeah - I'm all for 'everyone's welcome' policies, provided everyone also shows everyone else respect.

Nemo

gentlespirit writes

Working in a gay pub amd seeing the trouble str8s cause im 100% for this.gs

stickytoffee writes

Has anyone heard about the court ruling in Melbourne, Australia regarding this very same issue? The Gay bar won the right to discriminate against hetro's AND lesbians??!! There is another similar story in Montreal...

cuddleblue writes

As someone who as just ‘come out’ I used to enjoy going to gay bars where it made me feel accepted even though at the time I was classed as ‘straight’. I think it is essential not to discriminate because we are requesting society not to do it to us! If however, anyone shows signs of trouble or going to cause trouble then they should be ejected from the bar quickly with as little fuss as possible.

ishhen writes

ive read all the other posts on this topic which has given me alot of new ways of looking at this. i am a regular at the 'offending' club. after reading all the media hype and then going to the club last weekend, i have to tell you nothing has changed there. i think they just got the ruling to protect themselves legally. the bouncers still knock people of all persuasions back at the door as they always have. although i agree, it does make the glbti community look a little silly. but having said that, there have been times at that club when finding another lesbian has been tough. so im for it and against it if that makes sense. i think the bottom line is, its a club for gay men, if you dont like it, dont go. there's plenty of other clubs in melbourne

MissChief writes

Its when straight people go in straight groups to gay places that the trouble starts. However, i think it is ok if straight people go to gay bars if guests of gay people.

silverlinings writes

I would like to see bars etc have a clear policy like 'no straights' or 'guests only', then we can choose who we mix with. I favour some discrimination and would like to know that I only have to socialise with those who can behave themselves regardless of sexuality.
A straight couple going in a gay venue may get a frosty reception, or even be refused entry, but lets face it they will probably never be verbally abused, spat at, beaten up or killed just for been straight. And I now gay/lesbians can misbehave but we are the minority here- its important to have our own safe spaces free from abuse.

I go to gay bars because they are gay.

2ndtimearound writes

Yes Gay&Lesbian bars should keep straight people out!! for the simple fact that we gays/Lesbians have been discriminated against and still are. We can't even o into a straight environment and show our affection for our partners. But Straight people have the best of both worlds. They can go the their bars and show affection for their wife/husbands.

And if they come into a gay bar they do the same without a second thought to us. Our bars/ environment is all we have our own little space. Gays/Lesbians did not start this"war" so to speak they did, and I will not have a homophobic person come into my environment and call be a sicko when I'm showing my partner some affection.

People act as if this "gay/lesbian thing" just happened yesterday, in fact its been around since the beginning of Christ.... and that a long time ago.

stickytoffee writes

Yes, discrimination has been around for a very long time ( even BEFORE Christ I should think), but to perpetuate it will not make it go away. ANYONE, going into ANY establishment of any kind should behave in an appropriate manner. If they cannot control themselves, then they should be ejected by the manager/security, this is what these people are are employed for. If the situation escalates, the police should be called, this is also in their job description.

shelia writes

Is being asked if you are gay so offensive? Its the same as being asked if you are a member. The answer you give is up to you.

If it upsets you you can leave or protest. If you are granted entry you should take comfort that inside is a safe place for you. If you are harrassed you have the right to ask staff to deal with the issue AND they in turn have a valid "reason" for asking someone to leave or modify their behaviour, (without this "reason" it is discrimination!).

I find being refused entry because of my shoes offensive and discriminatory - and I have been refused entry for this.

I have been asked if I am gay when accessing websites, I don't hear and cries of discrimation at this.

I don't mind who you are or what you like it's more a matter of respecting each other. If it takes asking people their sexual persuasion to create awareness then ask.

Chilli Cel writes

I think its too harsh banning straight folk from clubs. Ignoring the discrimination factor, some of us have straight friends. We like them, and we like to go out and enjoy a night with them. Sometimes that's at a straight bar, sometimes its at a gay bar.

My best friend is straight. 90% of the time I'm out, she is there. I'd be stuck at straight clubs every week if she was banned because of her sexuality.

ishhen writes

i think you have missed the point of this. it was reported in the media that it would be a 'gay male' only venue. this is not the case. straight people and lesbians are still welcome. when i went, the mix of people was the same as it was 2 months ago. really, nothings changed. i have been refused entry before and im sure i will again at some future date.
any exemption that is granted to the anti-discrimination laws is very carefully considered. i think if the owner of a club wants to turn ANYONE away at the door, they should be allowed to. imagine what would happen at any club if there were no restrictions. anyhow, thats my little piece, again. but, again, its a pity this was all played out in mainstream media with so much mis-information.

Drummergirl writes

Myself, my partner and a few of my friends decided to go to cube (canberra) after my birthday drinks. When I approached the door I was stopped by the bouncer who sad it was a members only night. When my friends and I stood back for a moment we saw the bouncer let in many other people, from which I could see, didn't have stamps and were not asked for membership. The bouncer informed us that we were unable to become members until the following night and we were not aloud to call on the owner to discuss it. I explained to him that I had been coming to cube since the opening and had been a patron of the Meridian club before that. He wasn't going to change his mind so we left.

I was puzzled as to why myself and my friends weren't aloud in seeing as though I have attended one of the 'girls only' nights without a problem and my partner has attended several.

I heard a couple of days later that another friend of mine had been refused entry and the following saturday night. The bouncers

stickytoffee writes

Perhaps we should send a copy of these interesting conversations/posts, to the media?! Trust us lesbians to start a riot!! Grrr!

Noahsmum writes

In this small country town we wouldn't care less what kind of club / bar it was as long as we had somewhere to go where we could be ourselves, dance as a same sex couple hold hands as a same sex couple,etc. without the risk of actual physical violence against us. At the risk of starting world war three I think (and of course it is only one woman's opinion)that the metropolitan glbt community'S are spoilt for choice and They should think themselves even luckier that the law is even backing them up in maintaining a safe space where they can be themselves. As for reverse discrimination there are mens only clubs for straight men and women only clubs for " straight women there are boy scout clubs and girls scout clubs but they aren't labelled discriminatory. Each group whomever they are and whatever commonality they share should be entitled to a "space" a part of the world that says this is home this is where I belong This place is happy and safe.

Deanna

stickytoffee writes

Hey let's all move to annasue's "small country town" and open up a lesbian/gay/hetero/queer/bi/transexual/transgender and whoever else I forgot to mention Bar! Sounds like they need a place to go to! There IS safety in Numbers... Which is why we in large cities tend to become "spoilt"

-Bo- writes

this is a very interesting posting. alot of arguments, alot of good points.

I'm not into discriminating at all!!

You know its strange, i had long hair, for many years, looked femme!! I used to go to gay bars, and without a lie, so many times i got asked by the bouncers if i was in the right place, i had ppl in the bars looking at me, whispering, some even had the guts at least to ask me straight out if i 'belonged' there, did i know where i was?!! 'are you sure you're in the right place love?' No matter what you 'look' like, you shouldn't get that. I now have short hair, Not to fit in! and i don't get questioned. I hate that! I hate that ppl think i fit some sort of stereo type now so its all ok.
But even going to the Peel, i still get straight men, trying it on.
I'm not for discrimination in any way shape or form... but it has to go BOTH ways.

Lesbians have very few places to go now on a regular basis.

Any gay bar, should protect the cliental against

SaWaddiKa writes

Wow! What a wide variety of views and reasons for them.
However to me positive action discrimination is still discrimination. The problem with excluding anyone from a GLBTI entertainment venue based on gender or sexuality just reinforces the the thankfully fading attitude in the wider community that being gay is something to hide. Yes we need to feel safe, safe anywhere. Safe to dance, hold hands and kiss our partners without the harassment by the bigoted. This safe environment is the venue operators responsibility not ours. A couple of the ways to minimize discrimination is through education and exposure. We cant do either for the wider community from behind barred doors, we have to be seen. Yes we can have venues tailored to the gay culture but to bar others from attending wont help our cause in the long run. It is a short term solution for what is a protracted problem. Also there are towns that don't have GLBTI venues and others that do wouldn't survive on our communities patrona

anjollina writes

Absolutely NOT!
People in the community have been trying towards equality then narrow minded people work to make the community an evn bigger minority!

the people that seek this kinds of bands a selfish and ... last time i checked I dont carry a card around saying im gay?????????????

-Bo- writes

I attempted to go to the bar in question in the early hours of Saturday morning, with 5 others, All gay, but all women. For the first time in the 7 and 1/2 years i have been going to the Peel, i was banned. we were all banned, Yet other women were allowed in When they arrived with guys.

so you are only allowed in if you turn up with a guy to the peel, too many women turning up together .. forget it

i was there just two weeks, both friday and sat night. i was shocked.