Peoria (Illinois) gays react to unwelcome sign

[sabra]

Source: Chicago Trib

In bright yellow capital letters, the sign on the karaoke bar in downtown Peoria was clear: "WE ARE NOT A GAY BAR!!"

The local gay community got the message. And it apparently was just the rallying cry it needed.

In a flurry of forwarded Facebook, MySpace and text messages, a coalition quickly mobilized and dozens of gay rights supporters lined up last weekend outside The Elbo Room to express their outrage. The sign, they said, might as well have read, "Gays are not welcome here."

"The sign was basically a sign of intolerance, and we're not going to stand for it anymore," said Stephanie Worlow, 27, one of the organizers of the protest that drew nearly 40 people. "It's time that we as a community stand up for ourselves. We're not going to stand for intolerance anymore."

The group held three protests last weekend, one of which drew the attention of paintballers, who fired on the crowd. Police had no suspects in that attack.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-peoria-gay-bar-17apr17,0,7371226.story

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This sign in the window of The Elbo Room bar was a wake-up call to the gay community, previously a low-key population in Peoria, to mobilize. (Photo by Nick Stroman / April 16, 2009)

[meegbear]

1. Thats bullshit!

Good for them for protesting!

[Tim01]

2. Hetrosexual bars should be banned?

[get the red out]

5. We are not a Black bar, We are not a Hispanic bar....

the list could on and there would be justified outrage all over the place.

[mikelgb]

6. FAIL

[Tim01]

10. Do you agree that gay bars shouldn't have to put up with rednecks who come in

just do be dicks and laugh at the gays in the place.
I don't think the management should have to make excuses or apologies for telling the rednecks that this is a gay bar and they need to get the fuck out.


The sign posted didn't need to be so insulting, however.

[bowens43]

12. so your assumption is that gays will be disruptive?

pathetic.

[Tim01]

13. I didn't assert any such thing. Don't make stuff up.

Rednecks certainly will be disruptive. Are you going to answer my question or just sling insults?

[JerseygirlCT]

33. No one should have to put up with people like that

and if people behave that badly in ANY bar, they should be asked to leave.

That has nothing to do with the insulting sign, however. Your example is about behavior, not about who people are.

[uppityperson]

36. How about management has the right to evict anyone being an asshole?

That should about cover it. Doesn't matter if it is a "gay bar" or a "heterosexual bar" or a "white bar" or a "black bar".

Management has the right to evict assholes.

[No Elephants]

49. Gays were going in just be dicks and laugh at the heterosexuals?

[mainegreen]

15. A gay bar that said 'No Heteros' would get the same flak.

And yes, as a Straight male, I've been to a gay bar. AND a lesbian bar as well.

I'd have been ripshit if they said 'Get out straighty'.

[Tim01]

29. It's a private business. They shouldn't get any flak.

Yeah, I know they would. But that is mostly because gays are so very badly outnumbered and lots of the anti-gay people are flat out violent.
I think they should be able to put up a sign that says "Gay bar, not for straight people". It's their bar, they can do what they want. If you disagree with that, then we just disagree and that won't change.

[mainegreen]

30. Government has the right to regulate commerce.

Don't like it? Don't run a business then.

[prolesunited]

35. And if the sign said "Whites only"

you would be OK with that as well since it's a private business and all?

[uppityperson]

37. Would I have to prove my sexual orientation before being let in?

[No Elephants]

50. Since when does a private business have immunity from flak? People demonstrate against

private businesses all the time.

[Zenlitened]

20. Your powers of reasoning continue to, uh... amaze me.

Yeah, amaze. That's the word. Or something. :spray:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=212466&mesg_id=212565

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=212466&mesg_id=212569

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=212466&mesg_id=212573

[Tim01]

25. You are doing searches on me? That's pretty creepy.

[Zenlitened]

32. No, I'm linking to my own posts.

You were too chickenshit to respond to me then, so I guess I'm not surprised you're too chickenshit to click on the links now.

:rofl:

[uppityperson]

38. Wrong. It is standard procedure, that is one of the reasons they give us search function

If you don't like it, complain to admin. I clicked on the links and they are to that poster's comments.

[nichomachus]

44. Sure -- "hetrosexuals" are such morans (Welcome to DU -- enjoy your stay)

[No Elephants]

48. Why must a bar be one or the other?

[pepperbear]

51. I am knocking myself out trying to find the part of the OP that implies this course of action

and it just ain't there.

[xchrom]

3. i was raised in peoria in the winter

and california in the summer.

i see little has changed.

[davsand]

7. Alas, but stupid IS a forever kind of thing.

Redneck is pretty much in that same category, too.

I am glad for you that you at least got to live someplace a bit better for half the year when you were a kid. I can only assume that even conservative to the bone Pasadena is a huge step up over Peoria on its best day.

I may be native to East Central Illinois and a farm girl to boot, but even I avoid Peoria whenever possible. The two claims to fame they still have are the River Boat Casino and the strip bars.

SSDD.


Laura

[xchrom]

9. peoria was horrfying growing up.

where were you in east central illinois?

my summers were spent in the bay area -- it was like heaven.

i got to know that another universe existed outside of the grey and dreary centrla illinois.

[davsand]

14. Between Champaign and Danville.

It is a hotbed of liberalism, let me tell ya!

:rofl:

Small town life sucks sometimes, but I think we are saved, in part, by the fact that there is very much a sense of community out here that is missing in the larger towns like Peoria. They all know our business, that is true. They also all come running when somebody is in need, and anyone from OUTSIDE that messes with us is messing with them too. (We may be seen as the village idiots sometimes but we are THEIR village idiots, by gawd!)

I planned an managed my "escape" for several years, and then came back for family as an adult. My daughter is growing up here, but we work really hard to offset the stupid and the redneck. I think we will survive it, but there are times when I wonder WTF I was thinking to ever come back.

The Bay area is heaven on earth politically, but man I would NOT want to live around that many people. Good for you that you adapted early!



Laura

[closeupready]

17. At least there's the university - that mellows the locals downstate.

Still, surely, it's not the Bay Area. :D

[davsand]

19. Yes, the U of Illinois helps.

Tends to lighten up the redneck factor just a bit.

I find that we have a lot more going socially there with the faculty than we do here at home most of the time. We do the "expected" social stuff out here sometimes--like the Legion Fish Fry or the 4H Pancake Breakfasts--and that is just about as much as we can manage.

You are correct, however, when you say this is nowhere near being the Bay Area!

:rofl:


Laura

[Critters2]

22. My progressive family has deep roots in East Central Illinois.

I've never experienced the "rednecks" you talk about. I will always remember my grandmother's funeral at the Disciples church in Rantoul. Two rows of her African American friends across the aisle from two rows of her Mennonite friends (in plain dress), all of them mingling at the luncheon. That's the sort of diversity I was raised with, by my grandparents who were born and raised in East Central Illnois.

[davsand]

24. As we established long ago, you, my dear, are a unique one.

LOL.

:hi:

You never ventured too far outside the "metro area" of Rantoul, sounds like. Boofoo where we live is a different beast. We have a whole lotta redneck and a whole lotta small minded for our viewing er... pleasure.

You gonna be at the CCHCC dinner tonight? Material Girl is planning to appear in her new high heels. Me, myself, I am planning to display my aged feet and legs in flats. The big challenge I have is figuring out how to put an emergancy hem in a pair of dress slacks that will not require any sewing.



Laura

[Critters2]

26. Can't make it, dammit. This church-related college

is coming to town to do a concert at the church. They contacted the family of one of the kids in the choir, and got them all excited about it before even asking me about the date, etc. No way I could say "no", though I was planning on taking vacation this week. Second year in a row something conflicted with it. Dammit. Give everyone my love. I really wish I could be there. Damned Elmhurst College.

[xchrom]

18. yeah -- i'm an urban guy.

i had family in danville!

i used to drive over to the gay bars in champagne.

i could live in a pastoral setting -- but i gotta have some 'cultchah' or i go crazy.

peoria is like the anti-culture capital of the universe.

[davsand]

21. Chester Street (used to be called The Bar) was THE place to be.

I lost quite a few hours there--usually on weekend nights but not always! (I still have some stolen "MacNawear" glasses, in fact!*) To this day whenever I walk in there I expect to hear Grace or Donna, the smell of poppers, and I'm looking for friends that have long gone. I am disappointed every time. I have aged an awful lot, I think...

Danville is very sad now. It is a terribly depressed area. I was over there with an Illinois Senate race a couple of years ago and we were walking in the Labor Day parade. I still get weepy when I think about it because I had elderly people begging me for the candy throws. They were that hungry. It was almost like the old films you see of the GIs handing out rations.

I hope your family got out of there, I really do.

:hug:


Laura


* "MacNawear" was a term for all the glasses stolen from The Bar at closing time. We'd stand on the street outside with our cocktails figuring out where the after hours party was gonna be. If you looked in a cabinet at any given after hours party you would be guaranteed to find a few articles of "MacNawear" named for Joe McNamara--the owner.

[xchrom]

42. lol -- i may go back further -- BUT i do know macnaware.

oh god the seventies and champagne-urbana -- man we tore that place up.

then drive all night back to peoria -- or if we found some cuties to party with -- the next day.

you're really bringing back memories.

i date a bartender named michael from the old bar for a while -- can't remember his last name for some reason.

yeah danville is really depressed -- from central illinois down it's just gotten worse over the years.

very sad.

[SoxFan]

4. Talk to people in the hospitality industry

They want every customer they can find at the moment, so this clown is clearly somebody with issues.

Also, my friends in the business have said that the gay community is actually a valued customer source. Gay customers cause fewer problems, tip better, and often purchase higher-end product. It's anecdotal, but it shows that this bozo in Peoria is so threatened by the notion of a gay customer singing karaoke that he's going to screw his own business up.

[demoborn47]

8. Gay customers are THE BEST

I was a bartender for six years and they are the perfect patron, polite, fun, love to drink and the BEST TIPPERS. These people are biggots and are clearly homophobic, which is just sad. I'd hate to serve rednecks 2 dollar buds and get quarter tips, break up fights... etc... It's just so sad how much knowledge ignorance keeps you from.

[SoxFan]

31. The dollar Bud good old boys usually tip well

It's their supervisor from work who is the cheap SOB. The guy with just enough money to think it makes him a big deal. Drinks Captain & Coke or whatever foolish novelty A-B is pushing on a given week (Michelob Ultra Lime Dry)

[JerseygirlCT]

34. Yes, exactly!

If you're so bigoted you're turning away well-behaved, well-paying customers, then you've really got problems.

[sarcasmo]

11. Wow, this place should loose it's liqueur license.

[closeupready]

16. Good on Worlow.

Don't take that BS from those scumbags.

[Jokerman]

23. "Intolerant Idiots Turn Away Paying Customers, Doom Business."

At least that's the headline I'd have written.

[Critters2]

27. Yeah. Don't they realize teh gays buy drinks with Yankee greenbacks,

same as everybody else?

[KamaAina]

39. Well, except their twenty has Cher on it instead of Andrew Jackson

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Jokerman]

45. Oh no, I'm not falling for that one again.

They nearly laughed me out of the bank the last time I tried to deposit one of those.

:evilgrin:

[noiretextatique]

28. double duh

they just made sure they won't have any gay or gay-friendly patrons...or their money.

[KamaAina]

40. Larry Craig owns a karaoke bar in Peoria?

Who knew? :shrug:

[Lucky 13]

41. Muthaf*ckers. My gay ass would be in there every night.

[Dappleganger]

43. Sorry, but there is no music without ALL my friends!

Jesus, what are they thinking???

[nichomachus]

46. If you have to put up a sign saying that you're not a gay bar

you're probably gayer than you think.

Q. What's the difference between a gay bar and a straight bar?

A. In a gay bar, all the homosexuals get a little drunk. In a straight bar, all the drunks get a little homosexual.

[enola fay]

47. Pretty sad.

The comments on the article are even sadder. I see many commentors turning it around and blaming gay bars for turning away straight customers. As a frequenter of gay bars for many years, I can say I've never once seen nor heard of a single straight person being turned away. In fact, I find that most of the gay bars are patronized overwhelmingly by straight women. Kind of sucks when you're a lesbian cruising, but whatever. The more the merrier!