Are some gays intolerant? And could the staff at a San Francisco club catering to gay males in the famous gay Castro district have systematically discriminated against women and minorities? The city is investigating.

In the middle of it is "And Castro For All", a project of San Francisco's LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgendered) Community Center. AC4A, as the group calls itself, initiated the "Is BadlandsBad?" campaign against a gay bar in the Castro named Badlands. AC4A's Web site reports:

IsBadlandsBad? launched in the summer of 2004, when organizers held multiple press conferences to share reports from witnesses, patrons, and former employees alleging 1) that...the owner of SFBadlands and Detour bars, had been encouraging his staff to implement discriminatory and illegal practices in an effort to bar African Americans and others; 2) that, on multiple occasions, African-American patrons, Latinos, women, and other individuals had been subjected to differential, unjust, and illegal treatment, ranging from discrimination at the door to expulsion without cause; and 3) that, given the composition of his 100% male and overwhelmingly White, 40-plus person workforce, it was highly likely (the business) was engaged in discriminatory hiring practices.

As a result of diligent awareness raising and advocacy by IsBadlandsBad complainants and volunteers, and community leaders, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) currently is conducting its first-ever investigation into charges of race-based discrimination in an establishment under its watch, an investigation whose outcome will establish a precedent for the enforcement of civil rights laws throughout California. Likewise, the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC) opened a rare, formal complaint based on individual testimony provided by over 20 individuals;

This week's San Francisco Bay Guardian has more.

Results of the 10-month investigation will be released sometime in mid-April. If the HRC rules that civil rights abuses have taken place at Natali's bars, it could result in the revocation of their liquor licenses by the (state) Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The findings could also be used as evidence in individual lawsuits.

Self-identity is a tricky thing. If you decide that first and foremost you are (pick one) Republican, "progressive", Gay, Black, Latino, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc., you are always going to be sizing up the "other" instead of just letting life, and human interaction, flow. If you're at risk of attack as an especially "femme"-looking guy, or trannie, then get a concealed weapon permit and learn to shoot: fer crissakes, don't be a victim.

I found myself in the role of outsider recently as a straight, white male. I went briefly into a Denman Street bakery last week in Vancouver after a walk in Stanley Park with my family, to see if the fare and atmosphere looked amenable.

The scones looked great, but when 25 male heads all turned in unison from their various tables to check out the "fresh meat" walking in the door (me), I felt a divide. Were they all really checking to see if a friend was coming in? I don't think so. They were doing what (some) gay men always do, and I found it offensive, and unwelcoming. There was also a clear subtext: this is OUR place, and you'd better be one of us, or you're not welcome. Doubtless, blacks used to get this kind of reception a lot, when walking into bars, restuarants, or public schools.

It is a sign of social progress that gay and lesbian couples are comfortable together in public settings of all sorts in U.S. cities. They are out and together among the straights, and the world is a better place for it. So, now, here is a militant thing to do - to test the limits of tolerance in North American urban gay communities. Heterosexuals, maybe two or three couples at a time, should go into gay bars, and order drinks, laugh and have fun.

See what happens. And if you're in San Francisco, head on over to Badlands.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at April 21, 2005 01:55 PM

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