Oxford Street Gay Club Pink Pony Have Issued An Apology After Major Backlash
Image: Two 3 One / Instagram
CEO Michael Lewis and owner Kevin Du-Val of the yet-to-be-renamed gay bar, Pink Pony, have apologised for their “tone deaf” behaviour in an open letter to the community.
“Firstly we would like to sincerely apologise for any hurt or offence we have caused members of our extended LGBQTI+ family with the announcement of our upcoming project,” they wrote in posts made to the Instagram accounts of Pink Pony and Palms.
“In our excitement to announce the launch of our new venture, our first thought was to let those in the community we envisioned would be the core clientele know we were building something for them, in hindsight our communication was clumsy and very poorly worded.
View this post on Instagram
“Clearly the choice of ‘Pink Pony’ as a name was also an error of judgement given Chappell Roan’s well deserved reverence with queer Women. Growing up as young gay men dancing to Dancing Queen, we selfishly considered the song another gay anthem completely overlooking the wider implications of using it.
“We can see the issue with using the song name as inspiration for what was expected to be a predominately gay venue. We have taken the time to see from the perspective of others in our community, and see that we appeared arrogant & selfish, for that, we are sorry.
“We would like to reiterate that all members of our community are welcome at all of our venues, there never was an intention to have a door policy of exclusion targeted at any particular group. In hindsight we can see how our nomination of a preferred mix was tone deaf and hurtful and once again we sincerely apologise.”
Scheduled to open on Oxford Street in early December, Pink Pony was announced earlier in the week by Du-Val, whose comments incited backlash when he said that the club would be “unashamedly … targeted” toward gay men aged 18 to 35.
“Of course the girls will be welcome, but it would certainly be our desire that it predominantly gay boys,” he added.
His comments reignited long-standing frustrations about the exclusion of lesbians, bisexual and queer women, and trans people from gay bars and LGBTQIA+ nightlife venues, particularly in the wake of the number of lesbian bars and inclusive spaces shrinking significantly.
Many called the comments about the bar’s preferred demographic tone-deaf and outdated, and also pointed out the irony of naming the club after a song by fiercely, proudly lesbian singer Chappell Roan.
Organisers move forward with “renewed and broadened perspective”
“At the end of the day the vibe of venue, the music and those it resonates with will dictate the crowd. Everyone is just looking to find their tribe and a place to belong,” the apology concluded.
“As announced already we will move forward with not only a new name but also a renewed and broadened perspective and sensitivity towards the views and needs of our wider community.”
Responses from the community were mixed, with many highlighting the fact that the event was representative of a wider problem in queer Sydney night life.
“I hope this can lead to some much needed change on that strip,” wrote drag queen and noted Mug of Sydney, Space Horse. “I hope all business owners and venues managers take note. This isn’t an isolated event, misogyny thrives on Oxford St and I encourage all queer women to stay vigilant.”
Many others, including Silas Again-Walker, called out Lewis and Du-Val for their behaviour in the face or criticism, asking, “so are they gonna unblock the people that essentially had to guide them to this conclusion or??”
Less than 48 hours since the backlash began, the Pink Pony Instagram account handle had changed to “new.name.coming”, and deleted all their posts. Currently, their apology is the only post visible on their account.
You May Also Like
Leave a Reply