One of the World's Biggest Gay Clubs Has Been Accused of Transphobia

[url=https://www.vice.com/en/contributor/genevieve-glatsky][/url]By Genevieve Glatsky - 06/22/2021


The staff of the iconic club in Bogota has been the target of allegations that its staff is elitist, racist, and transphobic in choosing whom to allow in.

BOGOTA, Colombia—On a recent Friday night, people adorned with neon wigs and elaborate makeup packed a closed street in Bogotá's gay neighborhood Chapinero. Wearing cocktail dresses, lingerie and wedding gowns, they embraced and posed for photos. Every possible presentation of gender was on display as contestants strutted down an improvised catwalk to a cheering crowd, showing off their most intricate and raunchiest moves. 

They had gathered for a ball, but also for a protest. 

Earlier that week, Theatron, one of the largest gay clubs in Latin America, had announced it would be hosting a dance and fashion competition known as a ball with the House of Cobras, one of the “houses” in Colombia’s emergent ballroom scene. 

José Toledo, known as Madre José Cobras, had planned the event with Theatron, the city’s iconic three-story gay club, for gay pride month.
 
But the day after the event was announced Toledo began receiving backlash from her community. Theatron, many say, has a history of discrimination. 


Since it was founded 19 years ago, Theatron has become more than a gay club. It's a staple of Bogota nightlife where a $16 fee covers unlimited drinks and access to 16 dance floors—each with a different style of music. But it has also been the target of allegations that its security staff is elitist, racist, and transphobic in choosing whom to allow in.

“These establishments are LGB, which is fine, but they won't include the T," said Sofía Gallego, a 23-year old communications student, trans activist, and webcam model who was at the street catwalk on June 4. 

https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kv4ky/o...ransphobia

(06-22-2021, 05:34 PM)CellarDweller Wrote: One of the World's Biggest Gay Clubs Has Been Accused of Transphobia

[url=https://www.vice.com/en/contributor/genevieve-glatsky][/url]By Genevieve Glatsky - 06/22/2021


The staff of the iconic club in Bogota has been the target of allegations that its staff is elitist, racist, and transphobic in choosing whom to allow in.

BOGOTA, Colombia—On a recent Friday night, people adorned with neon wigs and elaborate makeup packed a closed street in Bogotá's gay neighborhood Chapinero. Wearing cocktail dresses, lingerie and wedding gowns, they embraced and posed for photos. Every possible presentation of gender was on display as contestants strutted down an improvised catwalk to a cheering crowd, showing off their most intricate and raunchiest moves. 

They had gathered for a ball, but also for a protest. 

Earlier that week, Theatron, one of the largest gay clubs in Latin America, had announced it would be hosting a dance and fashion competition known as a ball with the House of Cobras, one of the “houses” in Colombia’s emergent ballroom scene. 

José Toledo, known as Madre José Cobras, had planned the event with Theatron, the city’s iconic three-story gay club, for gay pride month.
 
But the day after the event was announced Toledo began receiving backlash from her community. Theatron, many say, has a history of discrimination. 


Since it was founded 19 years ago, Theatron has become more than a gay club. It's a staple of Bogota nightlife where a $16 fee covers unlimited drinks and access to 16 dance floors—each with a different style of music. But it has also been the target of allegations that its security staff is elitist, racist, and transphobic in choosing whom to allow in.

“These establishments are LGB, which is fine, but they won't include the T," said Sofía Gallego, a 23-year old communications student, trans activist, and webcam model who was at the street catwalk on June 4. 

https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kv4ky/o...ransphobia

I don’t know what the answer to these problems is. On one hand I feel clubs have a right to determine who they admit on the other I wonder how they can delude themselves they, and they alone, are permitted to define who belongs to their tribe.

(06-23-2021, 12:45 AM)Karl Rand Wrote: I don’t know what the answer to these problems is. On one hand I feel clubs have a right to determine who they admit on the other I wonder how they can delude themselves they, and they alone, are permitted to define who belongs to their tribe.

I'm not sure that I agree with clubs deciding who can come in. If someone is creating a disturbance or harassing someone else, they should certainly be shown the door, but telling others they can't come in........that doesn't sit right with me.

That reminds me of the whole Studio 54 velvet rope scene.

Do you know that 70s disco song by Chic, "Freak Out"? I've read interviews online that members of the band were denied entry to the club, and they wrote that song about it, but it was originally called "Fuck Off". When they recorded it, they changed it to "Freak Out".

@CellarDweller Interesting....perhaps they tweaked the lyrics a little bit, but appears to be legit...

Quote:Rodgers and Edwards wrote this after they were denied admission to a nightclub, even though their song "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" often played inside.

It was New Year's Eve, 1977, and they were invited to Studio 54, a very popular club in New York City where many celebrities and trendsetters were known to hang out. A singer named Grace Jones wanted Rodgers and Edwards to do some production work for her, and asked them to come down to the club as her guest. When they got there, they were not on the list, and couldn't convince the doorman that they were the group Chic. All dressed up and nowhere to go on New Year's Eve, they left and started writing this song as a reply to the doorman. They called it "F--k Off," but when they decided to record it, Edwards wasn't comfortable with the cursing, so they tried it as "Freak Off." That title sounded lame, but when they made the opening lines "aaaahh Freak Out!" instead of "aaaahh F--k Off!", they came up with a better title: "La Freak."

They ended up not working for Grace Jones, although Rodgers produced her comeback album in 1986.