A new bar in Washington, DC has learned the hard way that politics is a bruising sport. Like many incoming members of Congress, they arrived with grand plans of bipartisanship and bonhomie, only to run face first into reality,
While it’s the seat of government, with members of all political parties living and working in the city, the locals overwhelmingly vote blue. And the LGBTQ+ community in DC also tends to skew political.
So when Political Pattie’s took over the space formerly occupied by The Dirty Goose, an iconic gay bar popular with both locals and political staffers, the decision to paint over the former bar’s rainbow decor and replace it with a red elephant and blue donkey wasn’t the smartest – especially since the Republican symbol replaced a rainbow flag.
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And when a transgender person challenged the owners on Republicans’ vicious legislative agenda targeting the LGBTQ+ community, their reply only served as kindling for the fire.
“Root for your team. Get to know someone you may not have otherwise been inclined to want to get to know. But most of all, have fun! Pattie’s is a safe place to do all that—respectfully, of course!” the bar’s Instagram account posted alongside a screenshot of a recent article about their opening.
“as a 🏳️⚧️ person, why would go to a bar to engage in dialogue with people from a political party actively working to roll back protections for my rights as a human being? yallllllll,” one follower shot back.
“A good reason would be to to get to know one another as human beings. It’s hard to hate someone once you’ve shared a cocktail together. Who knows? Maybe that person is an influential congressional staffer who could change the views of their boss. Or maybe you both share a passion for pickleball,” the account replied.
Allegations of insensitivity, transphobia, and that the owners had “pushed out” the gay bar quickly ran rampant online. Yesterday, the owners posted again on Instagram in a defensive statement that didn’t help their cause.
“Political Pattie’s aims to be a fun, inclusive space that pokes fun at politics, not the pain politics often causes,” they wrote.
“Soon after our logo was painted on our building’s facade, we realized that the representation of the red elephant was hurtful to the community. And out of respect, we decided to change the logo, removing both the donkey and the elephant…
“We view the online backlash that we’ve recently received to be mean spirited, especially considering our original and continued intent to be a space that is welcoming to ALL people, including members of the LGBTQ community. We do not tolerate homophobia, transphobia, racism or any other form of bigotry. As Black Americans, anything else would be antithetical to our very existence.”
The bar, owned by a straight couple, is located on U Street, a section of town historically associated with both the Black and queer communities. They also forcefully pushed back against the idea that they had anything to do with the Dirty Goose’s closure, noting that they are still in touch with the former bar’s owners.
“What has been happening online to Pattie’s directly resembles what happens in society daily,” they concluded. “Our business was judged by its outside appearance before anyone ever took the chance to learn what we were about on the inside. All too often racial minorities, members of the disabled and LGBTQ communities, and others are victims of these sorts of prejudgments, which can lead to tragic outcomes.”
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“brrooo, we’re still not drinking or playing pickleball with ppl who look at our existence as debatable, or worse—would rip away the rights our community has fought for,” one follower replied.
“the correct answer to ‘why should i, as a trans person, debate my existence with someone else’ is ‘your existence is not up for debate. period.’ that is what inclusivity looks like,” another added. “gentle reminder that your blackness does not absolve you from accountability and should not be used as a cover up to evade it.”
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