Oz bar bans heteros

[Mandy]

i think theres a lot of difference though between having different door policys at individual venues depending on the night and making actual laws

I agree .. a law is clear-cut, and avoids manager's discretion & "personal" discrimination.

[p.s. I know Luke meant he doesn't like it being legal.]


Note that the law gives managers the right to discriminate .. so they COULD choose which nights to have this policy apply.

So, would it be any different if they had a door policy that on "x" nights of the week, Heteros are not allowed ?

[faceless]

it should just be a simple policy of speaking to people and asking them if they know and are ok with it being a gay night - if not, don't let them in. Same way as you might tell someone it's a reggae night or whatever.

[Brown Sauce]

Let me put it this way, it might not be the best example but it'll have to do.

Someone was knocking the Black Police Officers Association, "Why can't we have a white one", blah blah blah. I said that the police force is the white mans club, that's why this association needs to exist. I might be wrong, but it's my take on it. Until we have travelled far enough so that making a minority group uncomfortable no longer exists, and so the minority group is no longer a minority, then these groups do need special consideration at times.

Now, every pub on the planet makes it very comfortable for heterotypes. You don't find gay's snickering, pointing fingers after a couple of sherbets at a heterosexual couple.

Not so in a gay bar. After a couple of sherbets some of the heterotypes do snicker, do point fingers and stuff. It's why my two friends that I mentioned don't go to this particular bar in Oldenburg. They do go to a pub in London though where that sort of behaviour doesn't happen. It's a long way to go for a quiet drink.

You are right with the manager discretion stuff, but unless you are right Mandy with your publicity stunt idea, and you well might be, then I would suppose that all the other methods have all been tried, tested and failed.

[faceless]

If a club here had a reputation of being uncontrolled then it would lose its licence. Councils should have better things to do than have to deal with inept bar management.

[Kezza]

What about the straight people who want to accompany their gay friends on a night out, where their gay friends can dance and have a good time without fear of reprisals?

Whilst at uni, I often accompanied my "gay boyfriends" (as I call them ) to dance clubs where, as a straight woman, I felt safe that I wouldn't be harrassed by any men, and where my gay friends could be themselves. I remember one club, in particular, that had a huge sign in the entrance that said "This is a gay bar. If you have a problem with this, please leave."

Some of the snarkier gays called us straight gals "fag hags", but I didn't care -- and my boyfriend certainly didn't mind because he knew I was in good company. In fact, he used to go out with all of us, too.

So, how does such a law address gay-friendly/supportive hetereosexuals, I wonder?