Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Wash Blade: Opposition to Move of Gay Clubs
This link is to the paper's blog, so if it doesn't take to the article, just click on "the latest" & scroll until you find the piece. This article from the Washington Blade describes the emergency meeting called by Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange last Friday regarding the possible relocation of 1-2 gay oriented businesses (possibly clubs) to the Ivy City neighborhood. A few ANC Commissioners are briefly quoted, including Kathy Henderson, who stressed that her opposition to any new clubs, or strip bars would stem from concerns about disorder & other spill-over issues such businesses can generate, and not from the fact that these businesses would cater to a gay clientele. One can only hope that the unidentified male audience member (who identified himself as a youth counselor) just mispoke when he used the word beastilality to describe what he thought would go on in such businesses.
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7 comments:
I think I sense the sarcasm, but it seems that the unidentified male audience member is simply from the school of thought that includes Senator Santorum and most recently VA Delegate Cole in equating being gay with bestiality. Sadly, there's still a lot of homophobia in DC. It didn't sound like anyone thought that it was important to correct this man's misapprehension at the meeting. Most of all, I hope that none of the youth this man counsels are gay. Sadly, I'm sure they are.
I'm going to stick this guy's comment in the category of completely shocking, but not at all surprising. That this man deals with youth is profoundly disturbing. Whether the kids he works with are gay, or straight, he is clearly not a positive influence. I suspect that he knew he wasn't using the proper term, but was just expressing his belief that gay people are animalistic, or subhuman. No one who has such a complete & utter lack of respect for his fellow humans should ever be allowed to counsel youth.
I join in the entirely appropriate condemnation, expressed above, of the unidentified man's homophobic remarks. That said, I think it is important to point out that for most people the issue here is not opposition to a gay strip club, but rather to any kind of strip club.
Mrs. Henderson stated as follows: “This type of club is to me no different than any liquor-licensed nightclub that wants to come and open up in our midst,” she said. “I support all people,” said Henderson. “My issue is about clubs and businesses that are undesirable that bring an element to this ward that the citizens continuously struggle against.”
I can certainly understand neighborhood opposition to a strip club.
I agree. Commissioner Henderson was totally reasonable. There's nothing irrational about opposing strip clubs in your neighborhood because you fear spillover issues.
I agree completely with what has been said above. We need more tolerance (of people, not strip clubs), not more hate.
We'll have to keep watch on things on H Street, too--I fear this is probably also on their list of possible relocation sites.
To be clear, I don't care about the fact that they're "homosexual" strip clubs or "straight" strip clubs--I just don't want them on H Street due to the many negative spillover effects.
What 'negative spillover effect'? Please explain.
Sometimes, generally if a club is poorly run, you might have drug or public sex problems. Commissioner Henderson mentioned street prostitution in particular (a problem that can occur around stip clubs).
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