Gay bar accused of racism after banning rap music

[FATCAT 60,888]

Just now, Mardy said:

Ah, I see your point now. But isn’t regular nightclubs doing the same as they refuse to play any kind of heavy metal or rock (a genre just like rap) , even if the customers request it? 

I dont think it’s as black and white as you let it seem. Bars of any type should be able to pick their music without being accused of racism.

That's the thing though, they aren't just banning rap music outright. They're telling DJs (in the email we weren't supposed to be seeing) that if they play rap, they won't be asked back. The devil is in the details, and it's the fact that they're trying to hide it as well as just the outright audacity of a gay bar banning a whole genre. It screams of obscure "dress codes" that still go on today that directly impact black americans in many bars.

[RahrahWitch 6,985]

They could've said they just wanted a specific sound for the bar and it didn't include rap but they shot themselves in the foot with how they worded that, but to be honest I don't exactly see it as racist.

[JazzGa 14,652]

I see nothing wrong with a club that plays dance/pop only, but the way they called out specific rappers and insulted the whole genre by referring to it as "mumble rap" was very tacky and shows someone is biased. I'm not sure I'd jump to call them racist as much as I'd just call it some snob who thinks his lame music taste is better than everyone else's lol. 

[Supersonic 49,376]

5 hours ago, Arturo said:

Exactly. There are so many rappers the gays stan. Cardi, Nicki, Iggy etc. I personally am not the biggest fan of any of them but their music sounds totally normal at a gay bar. Not to mention up and coming artists the gays use like Lizzo and City Girls. I’d rather hear all of them at a bar than a Britney song.

Tea. There's lots of great, queer-inclusive rap out there, there's also lots of queer rappers that should be played in gay bars all over the world.

However, I do have to say: I absolutely would not have it Drake or Migos started playing in the gay club/gay bar. If I wanted to party to that kind of music, I would not specifically seek out a queer place, I'd just go to the regular straight clubs instead.

[Rolodex of Hate 1,761]

Hmmm.... not sure if it's really racism, if they're aiming for a more lighthearted clubby sound then this doesn't really include rap, and rap songs aren't generally gay anthems (I guess with the exception of '212' and maybe select others). However, I do think it was worded poorly, but avoiding a specific genre isn't racist in itself

[SpadesToStart 3,808]

You can’t get away from the racial aspect of it, but at the same time this club also has a right to dictate what their sound is. If a DJ at a country bar started playing reggae or pop music, they likely wouldn’t be asked back, and yet no one’s jumping on all those establishments. If they want to consciously have an upbeat, dance-y vibe, why can’t they?

[gag 22,449]

I'm sorry but it's absolutely apparent from this thread that GGD is like 80% white. 

[Babel 41,640]

That policy is highkey stupid though, even more nowadays when even the queen of pop and the gays is collaborating with the so called “mumble rappers”. 

[HoneyB 28,770]

The way certain clubs have always gotten away doing these things that always have racist undertones yiKes. Imagine going to a gay club that only plays outdated bubblegum pop and songs like ME! a nightmare...literally a nightmare

[HoneyB 28,770]

2 hours ago, gag said:

I'm sorry but it's absolutely apparent from this thread that GGD is like 80% white. 

Anna Ou- 👁💋👁 you should have seen atrl, they make me embarrassed to call myself a little monster, the racism jumped OUT

[imnotyourbabe10 6,120]

Boystown is a mess anyway (as are many "gayborhoods").  I adore Chicago and have lived there (and around the Midwest) for years.  I will admit that Progress is better than the bars that catered to or advertised to POC because I usually saw nothing but white people objectifying the patrons at those other bars.  I have had friends do social science research via Grindr and the gay bars, which always reported racism, internalized homophobia and misogyny and so forth.  It's a problem.

Sucks because "Every bar is a gay bar now" and I miss our leather bars or gay bars that were hella queer and inclusive of both gay men and women and everyone in-between on the sexuality or identity spectrum.

I'll just stay at home and mix up some fresh lime margaritas with Cointreau and Grand Marnier (or vodka sodas or wine) with Mary Jane Holland if any of ya'll wish to join .  My pets will be there too.

EDIT: I also think it's time for a mass viewing of "Paris is Burning" so we can get anyone - gay, straight, whatever - up to speed with where some of gay culture really came from and its intersectionalities.  Then we can talk.

 

 

[ltlmnstr 2,771]

56 minutes ago, imnotyourbabe10 said:

also think it's time for a mass viewing of "Paris is Burning" so we can get anyone - gay, straight, whatever - up to speed with where some of gay culture really came from and its intersectionalities.  Then we can talk.

Gurl it's been on Netflix for YEARS! They're stubborn and not gonna be swayed. 

These people just don't care about Racism. To them ~racism no longer exists~

"That's not racism! This is REAL racism"

America is built on the back of slaves and Institutional Racism is ingrained in America's DNA.
 

 

[JevyDuty 2,961]

9 hours ago, Economy said:

I mean. I don't know that racism is what I'd call it. It's the rap music not the fact that a higher percentage of it's singers are black

 

I mean presumably Eminem or Iggy Azalea would be banned just as equally?

 

However I agree it's stupid. There's Rap music that isn't problematic and there's Pop and other top 40 that IS problematic

 

7 hours ago, Gracious Gaga said:

Aren’t there white artists who make rap music too?

Here in NYC they call them something I just learned 2 years ago... It was my white coworker talking about his own son whom he said he KNEW his son liked black girls. The disgust he showed towards his elementary school age child... I won't share the word but if you think naming 2 or even a handful of whites in rap is proving anything.. you're wrong. 

[GoldenPonyboy 2,434]

To be fair, why would anyone play mumble rap in a gay bar anyway ? Now im not a big fan of rap but i do like a few artists here and there but thats about it. They should also ban country music lol. I do agree that banning a whole genre of music is a bit extreme

[FlopSlurper 34,336]

That's a club I'd go to, straight clubs are filled with rap straight messy music so