The owners of Sydney’s new gay nightclub Pink Pony have apologized and vowed to change the club’s name after backlash from the local LGBTQ community.
Kevin Duvall and Michael Lewis, owners and managers of the popular gay club Palms, had planned to open a new multi-level venue in early December on Oxford Street, Darlinghurst’s main downtown area known for its vibrant LGBTQ nightlife.
But the club’s name, which the owners said in a since-deleted social media post, was “unabashedly inspired by the song of the same name, which resonates deeply within our community,” after lesbian singer Chapel Lawn’s hit song “Pink Pony Club,” was controversial because it seemingly described the type of clientele they hoped to attract at the expense of others, the newspaper reported. 9 news.
“In line with our experience and passion, Pink Pony is created specifically for gay men between the ages of 18 and 35 (mentality) who love to dance and sweat while listening to high-powered dance music in a safe space,” Duvall and Lewis wrote in a now-deleted post.
talk to gay sydney newsMr Lewis said women would be welcome at the club, but added: “Our hope is that [the crowd] Gay boys make up the majority, and I’d say more than 90 percent. ”
“Clearly there are legal hurdles… in terms of how much crowds can be vetted while still complying with the law,” he added, referring to Australia’s sex discrimination laws, which prohibit exclusion based on gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
The Australian Human Rights Commission can grant temporary exemptions from the law, but it is unclear whether clubs will qualify.
Club owners quickly came under fire on social media over the Pink Pony name and proposed door policy, with many calling it ironic and accusing the pair of xenophobia.
Queer event organizer Heaps Gay responded to the club owners’ posts by writing, “Appropriating lesbian culture for your own money and the benefit of gay men.” “This had such great potential for our community and Oxford Street. It’s sad.”
Heaps Gay later took up the controversy in its own way facebook postcalled the situation “unfortunate” and labeled the Pink Pony’s owner “tone-deaf.”
“Imagine calling it the Pink Pony Club when the song clearly says, ‘A place where boys and girls can be queens every day.’ They haven’t read this at all,” one user responded.
“Gay male misogyny is a hell of a drug,” another user wrote in response to Heaps Gay.
Commenters on the owner’s post, which has since been deleted, were similarly critical.
“So the club is named after a song about a female lesbian pop star when it’s only for gay men? Yeah, I’m worried they’re missing the point with this song,” one user wrote.
“Why name a club after a lesbian pop star’s hit song instead of a lesbian bar?” another user wrote.
This week, Du Val and Lewis changed their social media handles to “new name coming soon” and posted an apology on the club’s Instagram page.
“First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize for any hurt or offense I may have caused to any member of the LGBQTI+ family by announcing my upcoming project,” the post reads. “In hindsight, our communication was awkward and our language was very poor. Considering the respect that Chapel Lawn has for queer women, clearly choosing the name ‘Pink Pony’ was also an error in judgment… [W]sorry. ”
The post reiterated that all members of the queer community are welcome at the yet-to-be-named club. He stressed that it was never his intention to impose a door policy that excluded any group.
“In hindsight, we can see how tone-deaf and harmful our designation of preferred mix was. Once again, we sincerely apologize,” the post concludes. “At the end of the day, it’s the atmosphere of the venue, the music and the people who resonate with it that determines the audience. Everyone is just trying to find their tribe and place.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
