Should gay bars be allowed to refuse entry to heterosexuals?

Question

At present gay bars can turn away people they suspect are heterosexual. The law may be changed soon in the UK. What are your views?

I go to gay bars in Manchester and find that on Saturday nights there are many straight girls (usually in groups of 10-15) trying to get in to gay bars. Some go 'to look at the freak show', some to try and 'turn' a gay guy and some to get away from the hassle of straight guys coming on to them.

Gay bars where created for gay men. Somewhere they can go and be themselves without fear of prejudice. If the new law is passed this will mean they have no safe haven.

Many heterosexuals enter gay bars and expect gay to conform to their heterosexual norms and will often laugh at two guys being affectionate together. Many also ask personal questions like "What do you do in bed?" They treat the gay guys like curiosities.

I do not think that straight people should be refused altogether but I think the bars should have some discretion in refusing.

This question is for opinions. I'm not saying I am for or against. But please do not use this question as a way to express homophobic views.

Quick update, having read messages read so far:

I should have included lesbians in the original question.

I think that heterosexuals shouldn't be refused unless there is reason to believe that they are to cause trouble or make fun at people.

PS Why do people who have an apparent dislike of gays and lesbians go searching for questions about gays so they can be abusive. If you don't like something don't go looking for it. It's that simple.

Answer 1

Hi!

This is very difficult, as it can be hard to prove who is straight and who is not. A group of 15 Burberry-cap wearing idiots should obviously be refused entry, but what if you're a man and a woman? Also, what if you're bisexual? I am bisexual and got questioned about my sexuality in the queue. I was honest about it, and the bouncer was fine.

In Birmingham where I live, there is a fantastic gay bar called DV8. It is straight-friendly, and on a Thursday they have an '£8 entry, all drinks are free' policy. This makes it really popular with students (I am a student). Myself and a group of about 6 straight friends go there on a Thursday. We love the atmosphere, the people are friendly, and as a girl, it a relief to escape the meat market and not be letched at by guys.

However, I think it must be very frustrating for gay people when the club is half full of heterosexuals. The boys tend to cause most problems, like you say, asking idiotic questions and coming in to watch 'the freak show'.

I think that either clubs should keep straight-friendly nights to just a couple of nights a week, so that there are nights when gay people can go in and know that everyone in there is gay. Alternatively, clubs could carry on the way they are - some are straight-friendly, some are definitely not. They are well within their rights to do that.

It's just - how can the bouncers tell who is straight and who is gay? You can't always do it on appearance. Would bisexual people be allowed in? What if there was a gay man and a straight girl? Perhaps the bouncers need to start employing some unique tactics to judge why people want to come in, so that the trouble-making idiots stay out. When the bouncer questioned me, he asked me quickfire questions like - how many gilfriends have you had? What was her name? How did you meet? If there are a group of lads, and it's a gay-only club, the lads should have to kiss each other before entering! Any idiot that is planning to come in just to harrass gay people is definitely not going to snog their mate.

I love going to gay bars because of the music, people and atmosphere, but myself and my straight friends would understand if we weren't allowed in! We're just on vacation in your world at the end of the day! (Although defintely not TOURISTS).

xx Emmie

PS. In response to the idea of opening 'straight bars', or 'white bars' you are missing the point, I think. The whole benefit of gay-only bars is that gay people can go there without being harrassed by homophobics and can meet other people and potentially know that if they try to pull, there's a good chance of knowing the other person's gay. In a 'straight' bar, there is no way of knowing, and most of the people you see in the mainstream clubs ARE straight. You'd hardly catch a gay man going up to straight men and causing trouble. Yet if two gay men kissed in the middle of a 'straight' club, all hell would break lose. So yes, there SHOULD be gay bars and perhaps straight people shouldn't be allowed in!

I don't think it's prejudice. Straight people can meet partners all the time - at work, out clubbing, in the supermarket, anywhere. Gay people are more restricted in everyday life, because they do not know who is gay, and a lot of people are straight. Gay bars allow gay people to meet other gay people without the confusion.

Answer 2

No I don't think they should be allowed to refuse entry to heterosexuals any more than gays should be refused entry into a straight bar. I have heard of lesbians being turned away from gay bars because they thought they were straight as they were quite feminine looking - this is ridiculous as not all lesbians look like the stereotypical image of a lesbian. However, if heterosexuals go into a gay bar with the intention of causing trouble, asking personal questions & treating gay people like curiosities, then I think they should be removed from the premises & barred.

Answer 3

So what your asking, if I'm reading you correctly, is that ANY heterosexual man or woman for that matter be denied access to a public house? Be that public house for "heterosexually" or "homosexually" persuaded people both male and female. Right? Only though, you feel it would be alright to randomly pick and choose whom you would and whom you would not allow into this establishment if that person, despite their gender, if they're not homosexual can or cannot enter to have a drink right? That would be just like myself telling YOU that YOU cannot enter the pub down on Hobbs Lane over by Morrows Ave. Monday thru Thursday nights because you're gay. Because those are the nights when all the heterosexuals are getting a bit soaked and what not. Think of it like this if you will: In order to change the world, you MUST educate the world! So, if someone ask you the question of who wears the trousers so to speak, enlighten them to the fact that you and your beloved SHARE ALL the responsibilities like adults world-wide should. As to the sex-ed parts, well, I leave that up to your own discretion!

Answer 4

I think people should have a right to congregate to a safe place where they can relax and unwind and maybe even find love. If the law passes, I'd suggest hiring some big bouncers to be some serious muscle making sure the bars stay gay havens. Eventually the heteros will figure out the reps those places have and leave them alone. You'll have your safe space again. For example in the U.S.A. there are laws banning segregated bars, but that doesn't mean that there aren't bars I'd almost be too afraid to enter because of my skin tone.

Answer 5

I have to agree the bars in Manchester tend to have more straights in than gays. The way AXM gets round this is by having a membership card to get in at peak times. My partner and I go to the bars in Blackpool they are much better.

If the bar is open to the general public then straights cannot be banned under the new law (starting in April I think) just a gays cannot be banned from straight bars. I think membership is the answer because then it becomes a private members club. Of course members could be allowed to bring guests in!

Answer 6

what i can gather from your additional comments is that all you really want is club owners to be able to refuse someone that they suspect might be there to cause trouble..? if that's the case, i'm sure that law exists already and is in no danger. or at least it does in the uk.
i am straight and often go to gay bars. the main reason for this is that my two best friends are a gay guy & a lesbian. i don't mind going with them because, like you mentioned, i don't like getting hassle from sleazy guys in other clubs and i like the music. i don't go to harass anybody and would never dream of doing so. i certainly don't like the idea that i could hang out with my friends monday to friday and then, come the weekend, we weren't allowed to go to the same places.
i think it should be that, within reason, anybody could go to any bar or club. if someone makes a complaint about someone or a bouncer notices someone being aggressive, then they would be made to leave. but you can't make one rule for all. that would be a bit of a step backward.
it's the old "guilty until proven innocent" thing.

Answer 7

This si for all those lot who like to gay bash at the first avaliable opperunity.

-We don't go into your 'straight' places and 'lick face' to get a reaction.
-We don't like being hassled by blokes who want a threesome.
-If it sickens you then its simple; leave!

I'm sorry if this has offended anyone with no prejudice in their bones but those that make a big song and dance about there being homosexual people in the world, that it turns their stomach and makes them wanna throw their spagbol or whatever need to seriously grow up.

And as far as the equal rights thing goes, you tell me! Its only recently we've been allowed to get married, it's only recently we can actually own property together, its only recently that our civil rights have stopped being imposed and its not right that when we do find a place for ourselves where those that are offended by who we are can shove off, they go and invade us anyway!

On a religious note, its not unnatural. If we all went off the unnnatural mode of life, there'd be no oral sex sex or anal sex. So most of you 'normal' ladys and blokes would be up the creek.

I live in Manchester, I go to the VIllage, I have a girlfriend, i'm a feminist but I don't hate men and I am a Lesbian so if you see me snogging the face off her down the Gay Village just remember where you're in. I have to see you doing it everywhere else.

Answer 8

I would think that anyone just looking to have a good time shouldn't be turned away from anything. If we as a community don't want to be discriminated against, we cannot turn around and do the same thing we are fighting against.

I would think it would be acceptable for gay bars to refuse service to anyone who seems hostile towards gays, but then you get into a very grey area - people's judgment can be affected by pre-existing discrimination... so where do we draw the line?

Answer 9

Well in America is against the law to refuse a group of people based on their sexuality, race, religon to enter a public establishment.
I LOVE going to Gay clubs.
I don't think of the people there as being an oddity, nor would I ever ask someone about what they do in bed.
That's just rude!
I have only had positive experiences, I dance, have a few drinks make new friends. I am a Liberal and many Gay people are liberal also.
BTW...It's nice to feel comfortable and not have some disgusting man popping a b0ner when we're dancing.

Answer 10

I don't think that there should be legislation barring heterosexuals from gay bars, just as I don't think there should be legislation refusing gay people entry to "straight" bars.
I am sure that some people, like you said, do go along just out of curiosity, but surely seeing that homosexuals act in much the same way at a bar that heterosexuals do, would serve a positive purpose?
Any pub or bar can employ doormen and refuse entry to someone, so I guess that would be an intermediary step. But wouldn't turning someone away because of their sexual orientation be unfair or prejudiced?