The Birdcage gay bar in Cincinnati, Ohio, closed without notice on Christmas Eve, leaving employees suddenly unemployed and the local LGBTQ community stunned. The bar announced its closure in January. facebook post On December 24th.
“Cincinnati, it’s been a great 6 years for you,” the post read. “We have had our ups and downs, but we are forever grateful for doing our part to serve the Greater Cincinnati LGBTQIA+ community.While our store is permanently closed, we wish everyone a Merry Wishing you a Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Kawanzaa, and a prosperous New Year.
Birdcage first opened in 2018 at 927 Race St. in Cincinnati, taking over the space that previously housed gay bar Shooters. The bar hosted a drag show every night, followed by a dance party.
In June 2023, the bar moved to 412 Central Avenue, the former site of the Rebel Mettle Brewery, but remained open at its old location, renaming the Race Street facility “The Flock” and settling down. We tried to rebrand it as a lounge environment. For the LGBTQ community, it complements The Birdcage’s more festive nightclub atmosphere.
The Birdcage’s owner, Ignite Management, operates non-LGBTQ nightlife venues in Cincinnati, including The Butcher and Barrel, Ché, O’Malley’s in the Alley, The Blind Pig, Gypsy’s Mainstrasse and Coffee at Lola’s.
Performers and event planners who worked at The Birdcage were blindsided by the closure.
“We all woke up on Christmas Eve, scrolling through Facebook, and suddenly, without contacting anyone, half of us had our pictures pasted on posters that said, ‘Goodbye, we’re closed.’ Honey, one of the cast members and former producer of Birdcage, told the Cincinnati Fox affiliate. WXIX.
“It was like a shock to the system,” drag performer Fifi told WXIX. With the closure of The Birdcage and The Flock, there are now only two licensed gay bars left in Cincinnati’s downtown area. “It’s really, really hard to see these places slowly disappear, not just for us as entertainers, but for the community as a whole.”
This announcement caused a huge backlash and uproar online.
“It’s fun to try and find one on your day off!” one employee commented on the post. “This is an absolute honor for the actual Birdcage employees and entertainers. Dear Owners (For those of you who have never met us) [and] I’ve never taken the time to support my own business), so it’s embarrassing that you let us know in this way. What a disappointment and stress factor for all of us to deal with. Let’s send love to everyone and we will get through this. ”
The bar followed up its original post with a more detailed post that included an apology explaining the reason for the closure. Management staff apologized for the timing of the announcement.
“Before making the public announcement, we first informed our staff of the closure, explained the reasons behind it, and planned to offer bartending and service jobs at other local bars and restaurants in Ignite. 6 We would like to express our gratitude and express our deep gratitude to the faithful cast members who have brought “The Birdcage” to life over the years, and it is our hope that other communities will find a place for them. The idea was to embrace them and provide a new stage for their amazing talents to shine. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.”
The Birdcage has struggled financially over the past year, citing many of the same predicaments facing LGBTQ bars across the country: plummeting sales and soaring insurance premiums, especially after the COVID-19 lockdown. He explained in detail that he is struggling to survive.
The venue claimed that with sales down 75%, bills and labor costs were paid out of pocket rather than out of the bar’s profits. The bar’s insurance policy, which expired Dec. 21, was not renewed, and the owners argued that renewing the policy would have cost them 25 percent of the premium, making it financially unfeasible. Without insurance, the bar could not handle its business responsibilities and was forced to close, and its annual New Year’s Eve party was also cancelled.
The bar’s management had been in talks with a potential buyer to sell the property, but no agreement was reached by the deadline.
Birdcage also said a “miscommunication” caused the Facebook post to go public before employees were notified.
The bar wrote that positions at Ignite’s other venues remain available “for those willing to accept.” However, some former employees told WXIX they have yet to hear from anyone from management.
Bloom OTR, another gay bar in Cincinnati, then contacted the performers of The Birdcage and invited them to attend Bloom’s drag show.
“I’m very grateful and admire Bloom for all he does for the community,” Honey said, adding that many of these entertainers are still looking for a more reliable source of income. pointed out.
“The problem is that there is currently no space to comfortably seat alternative entertainers who are not covered in the mainstream,” Honey said. “The bird cage took us there and now it’s gone. It’s devastating.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
