by NATH VALVO
There are so many things about that make me proud to be part of Melbourne’s gay community; this is not one of them.
It involves The Peel in Collingwood. It’s a gay club. It plays hilarious, amazing pop music and I have had many a good time there.
The Peel has a certain door policy you need to know about.
Years ago, The Peel nightclub made international headlines when it won a legal right to refuse heterosexuals and lesbians entry. VCAT then changed the ruling slightly but legally The Peel can still refuse people entry based on someone’s “character”. You can read more about it here.
The Peel owner has said in a number of interviews the door policy is in place to protect us – its gay clientele. I will always support the idea of creating a safe and comfortable space for us but what happened on Saturday night has nothing to do that.
Please let me remind you that the year is currently 2012.
On Saturday night, after a few over priced espresso martini cocktails, some friends and I decided to gyrate to The Peel. The boys were already inside when I arrived with my gay friend Blake and my straight friend Stacey.
On arrival we noticed there were 2 lines of people to enter the club – we were told by a random that one line “was for gays” and the other “gays with girls”.
Gay groups without girls got priority entry.
Already feeling a bit weird about the 2-line situation, we decided to swallow it and we lined up in the “with girls” line.
After a little wait we approached the security lady at the door. She was pleasant, smiled and asked to check out our I.Ds. Let’s call the female security guard … Meryl Streep. If anyone could play the role of a security guard it would be Meryl Streep.
What Meryl did next has melted my little brain.
Meryl turned to my friend Stacey and said, “are you aware that The Peel is a night club for gay men?” The three of us laughed at the question (Meryl did not). Stacey then politely answered, “Yes I am.”
The Peel
Meryl, calmly, said to Stacey, “In order for you to enter the peel tonight you must agree to following conditions… Firstly, there is to be no heterosexual behaviour.”
Stunned, Stacey replied: “… Sorry?”
Meryl then repeated, “Do you agree to no heterosexual behaviour inside the club?”
Stacey reluctantly agreed, “Yeah, I suppose so.”
Meryl then continued, “Do not interfere with the boys in this club, the boys in this club are our priority. Also be aware of heterosexual predators”.
The word predator made all our eyes prick up. Stacey asked Meryl to define predator and the answer given was: “A heterosexual male who will try and make contact with you in the hope of kissing you or dancing with you. If you see one report him to a security guard and he will be kicked out”.
Stacey nodded in disbelief. Meryl stated her last condition of entry “if you are seen kissing a male you will be escorted out immediately. Do you agree to these terms?”
Stacey “Yes I do.”
Meryl then clipped the rope off the wall and waved the three of us in to the club.
Shut. The. Front. Door. I’m getting a head spin. How is this crap flying at a Melbourne nightclub?
As an openly proud gay guy, I am humiliated to be apart of a community that thinks these conditions of entry are okay.
If my good friend Stacey – who loves and embraces everything about me – wants to join me for a night out at a gay bar, have a dance and god forbid have a HETEROSEXUAL dance floor pash,what damage is done? Who is hurt by that?
Who do The Peel staff think they are labelling my heterosexual male friends as predators?! A heterosexual male wanting to go to a nightclub with the hope of meeting a girl does not make him a predator. A heterosexual male wanting to visit The Peel does not automatically mean he is there to gay bash its patrons.
The Australian Christian Lobby uses the word gay and pedophile in the same sentence and there is uproar from our community (rightly so) so how is this ridiculous link any different?
Sweet Jesus how can the owners of The Peel who, no doubt, believe in marriage equality and ending sexual discrimination in this country feel fine about having these absurd conditions of entry for heterosexual people?
It wasn’t until the next day, sober, the reality of the situation settled in. I owe an apology to my good friend Stacey.
Stace, I am sorry that you felt so ostracised by members of my community. I am sorry I made you say out loud that you agree to no heterosexual behaviour. I am sorry, that after everything you do for me and your other gay friends that you were treated like this.
I really regret not telling The Peel to go f*ck itself, grabbing your hand and walking away.
Sound dramatic?
1. Have we met?
2. Just take a moment to think what people would say if the roles were reversed? How would we feel if a young gay male had to verbally agree to no “homosexual behaviour” before entering a nightclub?
There are so many amazing people in the gay community who are fighting the good fight for marriage equality, combating teenage depression, and ending the stigma of people living with HIV (just to name a few). But I can’t help but feel these arsehats that are running The Peel are pressing rewind and widening the discrimination gap others are slowly closing.
We can write witty placards at protests, write funny tweets watching QandA, and lecture our drunken uncle at Christmas about how tough LGBTQI people have it still … but it’s actions that speak louder than words.
It is completely up to us, the LBTGQI community, to lead by example and show everyone what true equality is all about. If our heterosexual friends want to come in to our clubs, drink with us, dance with us and suck face in front of us THEN FUCKING LET THEM!
I discovered a Facebook page, “End the sexist door policy at Peel” – it has 517 likes. I have no idea who or why that page was created, but it seems Stacey and I are not alone in our experience.
Protecting the safety of us is important, but this is something else. This is bullshit.
The Peel needs to terminate its sexist and embarrassing door policy today.
And I need a cocktail.
Nath Valvo is a comedian based in Melbourne. He can be heard on the Nova FM network and will one day host his own talk show. You can follow him on twitter here. You can also see him giving a speech at last year’s marriage equality rally here and you should because it’s awesome.
Editor’s Note: The Peel nightclub are entirely upfront about their door policy and have gone out of their way to make it possible for members of the public to engage with them about the policy. You can read their justification here
Comments
94 Comments so far
I can’t believe the Peel’s door policy has come up yet again, especially when other establishments, gay and straight have similar exclusive policies.
In supporting that policy, my view is you can’t compare a gay venue to a straight venue, because they inhabit different positions in society, just a we gay people are in a different paradigm compared with straight people.
Those who think differently, are a bit like those who say there should be no gay pride marches because there are no straight pride parades.
It may be the case that some bars have closed or gone downhill because they have not had a similar policy. Is that what people want?
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I can’t believe the Peel’s door policy has come up yet again, especially when other establishments, gay and straight have similar exclusive policies.
To me, this is like homophobia by default against gay men
In supporting that policy, my view is you can’t compare a gay venue to a straight venue, because they inhabit different positions in society, just a we gay people are in a different paradigm compared with straight people.
Those who think differently, are a bit like those who say there should be no gay pride marches because there are no straight pride parades.
It may be the case that some bars have closed or gone downhill because they have not had a similar policy. Is that what people want?
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Excellent post, I totally agree.
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Well I’m happy that I got away with my heterosexual kiss at the peel without getting kicked out!!
This is disgraceful!!
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That ‘two lines’ image brought up images of Nazi Germany for me. Seriously. Strange, strange attitudes.
cheers,
Mary
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Sorry, not trying to minimise the discrimination that a bisexual person may face in this instance… I just meant that as a straight person, I have no idea what gender-based discrimination is like, so it would be all too easy to be outraged at this club’s policies and forget the rest of the world’s relentless heterosexist dominant discourse that a member of the GLBTI community has to deal with all the time… Sorry straight brothers and sisters, stop complaining – we have no idea what it’s like.
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Thank you, Lozzie, I appreciate this.
Despite what my posts on this topic might imply, I’m not any kind of separatist or sexist. I have no issue in general with straight people.
But I do not want straight men in my dyke bar. As I said, I know how that looks. I can’t quite articulate why. I just want a woman-only space once in a while. I’m not asking the whole world to be like that. Just my safe lesbian space. I don’t think that’s much to ask, given the kind of attitudes and leering gay women get from some straight men (even well-meaning ones, sometimes).
And you know what? To address what someone said downthread, if there was a club for straight men only, I wouldn’t give a stuff. So on that basis I can’t see how I’m guilty of a double standard.
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This is so shit. I am a regular visitor to the Peel as my housemate is gay, as are many of my close friends. I love the place and I totally respect that they let in gay men before groups of girls. I was happy with that policy and I understood where they were coming from. This new ‘anti heterosexual’ policy is seriously effed up. I love going to the peel as I get to dance to awesomely trashy music with close friends…. and yes, I can pash a straight guy there if I want as they are there having a good time with their friends.
Banning heterosexual behavior is discrimination and illegal surely? It’s a shame because it will mean gay guys with their (often) female friends won’t go to the peel anymore because of this crap and that’s a shame.
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A heterosexual having a whinge about discrimination? I never thought I’d see the day.
If the Peel want to have this policy, they’re free to. It’s a club that acts as a safe place for homosexual men (it’s a shame that it doesn’t include more of the LGBT community) and it works for them.
If you want to go to a gay club with your gay friends then choose a different one for fucks sake instead of whinging for the sake of whinging.
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Jack – it’s not about having a ‘whinge’. This is someone’s take on the topic and her experiences with the rule. Mind you, 99.9% of all the other posts on here are also people take on things! Dur! Heterosexuals are entitled to feel discriminated against as much as gay people are – so your point there is just bitchy and unnecessary. It reeks of discrimination bias – that one claim of discrimination is worse than another. ALL discrimination is shitty. Full Stop.
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I hate this whole policy, and i disagree with it completely. But after reading some of these comments i am willing to be understanding about why you don’t want straight girls and hetrosexual behaviour in your space. However i do not understand why lesbians are refused access to Peel, it makes no sence to me, what is the justification?
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Good God folks let the owner know how you feel about it!
This is Horrible behavior no matter if it is about race, sex or orientation and should not be tolerated by the community of inclusion!
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Nath,
One bad apple…
Really, I’m so straight I must appear to have a disease to the gay community, but I’ve never been made to feel unwelcome in any gay bar that I have been to with my gay mates, I haven’t been hit on, nor have I been made to feel like I’m an intruder. Considering the evil shit that I did as a kid 30 years ago I have to say that I’ve been treated better by the gay community than I have treated them in the past. For that the Gay community should be congratulated.
If you don’t like the way you friends are treated at The Peel then don’t go, there’s plenty of other places that treat everyone with respect. If you want to go the The Peel for a dose of extreme gay romping then go for it, just recognise that all places cannot possibly be all the same.
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Haha wait until an intersex who presents as female gets a court case up.
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“Follow the rules”???? Because, presumably, gay guys are prohibited from engaging in ‘homosexual behaviour’ in a ‘straight’ club? I *sincerely* hope that’s not the case!
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Well, they are in a sense. Take a gay couple (male or female) into a ‘straight’ club, have them kiss, and watch what happens.
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The Peel shouldn’t discriminate based on sexuality but it could based on ‘gender’ or ‘sex’, because there’s about 50:50 ratio male:female thus neither is in a minority. Then you could have all male clubs (unlikely hetro men would want to be there) and all female clubs (also less likely hetro women would want to be there) and then mixed (for everyone, the most numerous type of club).
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Sadly, this sort of attitude crops up fairly often. I think it’s really valid to want a “safe space” – but a safe space for who? I am a bisexual woman and have had relationships with female-identifying and male-identifying people. (None of these people have been straight.) I have a lot of friends who are genderqueer. Some friends of friends were refused entry to a queer party recently, on the grounds of it being “queer only”. Those two friends were in a relationship consisting of a queer woman and a FTM trans man. People should never have to justify or explain their queer identities to people who should already be accepting those identities.
We are making our “safe spaces” into spaces that are extremely toxic to anyone who does not fit into binaries of straight/gay or male/female. Not to mention straight allies.
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It’s just providing another reason to hate the GLBTI community and loose our straight allies. Good on you “The Peel” bring back discrimination based on sexuality. (notice the sarcasm)
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WTF?
I’m a bisexual woman, even when I’m kissing a man.
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Exactly… What’s next, bi-only clubs? Genderqueer-only clubs? Trans-only clubs? MTF-trans-only clubs? MTF-trans-biromantic-homosexual-dom-only clubs?
Where is your “safe space” if you’re not a purely homosexual cis man?
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The Peel is a club for GAY Men. Get it? Simple.
It caters for people like me who don’t want to be gyrated against your boobs, don’t want to be whacked by your oversized handbags, dont want to be your first gay experience, dont want to be your exploration of a ‘taboo side,’ and definitely do not want to be screamed at or to be your replacement boyfriend.
Just because you find it fun to go out with your girlfriends for a night of girly fun, doesn’t mean the rest of us have to endure it.
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‘Reality Check’, espousing misogynist bullshit like this is just as deplorable from a gay man as it is from a straight man. And assuming that every woman who is granted access to the Peel wants to have their chest ‘gyrated against’ by the likes of you suggests you have bigger problems.
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What about lesbians then? I don’t carry a handbag, but sometimes a small shoulder one kinda thing. My boobs aren’t huge, but i always ensure not to flop them against people.
Am I allowed into this “gay” venue?
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I’m a lesbian and I don’t have a problem with The Peel’s policy.
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I don’t see what the big deal is. I think its fine that gay men have somewhere to be where they can be themselves and have fun. Like someone else said below there are plenty of clubs for straight people. Let the gays have theirs. And if a straight person wants to go to the club then just like a straight club they have to follow the rules. It is the respectful thing to do. If you can’t respect then don’t bother going.
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They sound like a bunch of discriminatory snobs. I’d find somewhere else to hang out, if I was you. I’ve gone to gay bars in Sydney, and I am a straight woman, and everyone was happy and accepting of their patrons regardless of their sexuality, provided everybody treated each other with respect.
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What if you are bisexual? I am a straight female but I have made out with a male who identified himself as being gay.
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Sounds like even lesbians can be turned away here… it’s for gay men only.
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I also want to say that although I have absolutely no issue with men, or with hetero couples out in the “real world”, when I am in a lesbian bar I a) don’t really want to see straight men or b) straight couples kissing.
I know that looks discriminatory and I am slightly embarrassed by it. If you asked me to articulate why, the best I can come up with is “it makes me uncomfortable”. Which, being the target clientele who is often made to feel “other” out in the world, is valid, IMHO. I would hazard a guess many of the Peel’s customers feel the same way.
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Diana, I wouldn’t apologise for wanting to have your own space with like minded people, and I don’t see a problem with segregating if that is what the clientele want.
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But I bet you’d flip out if I said I don’t want to see you kissing another female in my local pub. Sorry, but it seems to be the case that Homosexuals can say whatever they want but God forbid straight people express their opinion.
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I wouldn’t flip out, no. For a few reasons. I don’t take homophobia personally (I am not saying you are a homophobe, just responding to your hypothetical) and I can usually accept that it says everything about them, not me. I don’t “flip out” at all- I may think someone is rude or ignorant or what have you but I don’t lose my temper, it isn’t the way I communicate. I accept that not everyone is comfortable with homosexuals, which isn’t really my problem, but people are entitled to their opinion. It may not change my behaviour but I wouldn’t “flip out”.
Having said that, a regular pub is not a designated “straight space” the way the Peel is a “queer space” so your example doesn’t really work.
Anyway, your capitalisation of the word “God” gives your position on the subject of gay people away so I’d hazard a guess you’re not exactly an unbiased observer on this subject, am I right?
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Until the day that gays have the exact SAME rights as heterosexuals, then pardon my directness, I think we can say whatever the hell we want.
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And yet they’re refusing the main group of people, ie ‘fag hags’ that will fight for your rights till death if we have to. Ostracising the people who clearly support you and would stick up for you if people made a fuss if you were making out with a guy in a ‘straight’ club is NOT the way to go about it.
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Really? Sorry, but no-one has ever stuck up for me in a straight venue…
btw i’m female
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As a lesbian, advocate for LGBTQI inclusiveness and former occasional patron of The Peel, I have no issue with this policy. Come on, how many mainstream straight bars are there in this city? There are heaps.
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Yes but mainstream straight bars don’t refuse entry to people because of their gender or sexuality. Do they?
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Um…majority vs minority.
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Rudyroo, try being gay or lesbian and pashing your partner on the dancefloor of a mainstream pub/club. Lesbians get applause and whistles (yes, this has happened to me. More than once). Gay men get disgusted jeers and even threats of violence.
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oh i completely get that. But that’s a cultural thing and definitely needs to change. And I believe it will, eventually, but not in a hurry unfortunately.
My previous comment was from a legal point, opening one door to discrimination surely would open doors to other forms?
In regards to setting a precedent?
Would love to hear from a legal person about this.
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If segregation for sexuality is permitted, how is that different from allowing a bar that only allows aboriginals? Or white people?
Although I can understand the reasoning behind the policies. I’ve gone to many a gay club to have a great time. The fact that there is less of those ‘heterosexual predators’ there is one of the reasons.
I just don’t agree that this is the way to deal with it.
Especially, so it seems by some comments, how they are implementing it.
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“If segregation for sexuality is permitted, how is that different from allowing a bar that only allows aboriginals? Or white people?”
Oh, come on. You’re serious?
And it’s not about sexuality. It’s about behaviour. Why are people who aren’t gay men so keen to go to a club for gay men, anyway? LGBTQI people don’t exist to help straight people feel cool or risque. We’re not there for their entertainment.
A lot of us just want a space for people like us. Unless you are LGBTQI, you have no idea how isolating the outside world can be.
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I got taken to a lesbian nightclub when young. I was taken there by lesbians, so it was like the scenario outlined above. Is that ok?
I think rudyroo has a valid point. I went to NAIDOC week celebrations with my kids and while in a definite minority we whites were not made to feel unwelcome. To feel unwelcome aboriginal people don’t even have to do anything. They just have to be.
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Yes, silly me for thinking that going to a gay bar was to do with hanging out with my friends who happened to be gay and wanted to go there. And all along it was so I could feel risque and cool.
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OMG, my life is over. I may as well jump off a cliff.
I agree with everything Diana has said.
Think I’ll book myself in for some shock treatment.
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If it is not about sexuality and about behaviour, why are women not allowed in this club? Straight or gay, Except under much scutiny it appears.
Lots of people go to gay clubs because they have gay friends, or they enjoy the type of music, or the atmosphere. Mostly i suspect because they have gay friends. This club doesn’t, or barely, permits it.
“a lot of us want space for people like us”
I get that, I do. Especially considering the attitudes and treatment of homosexuals in this country, particularly some areas of this country.
Anyone, in any group, can use that statement ‘want space for people like us’. And one group doing it, could lead to other groups doing it couldn’t they? Especially if there is a legal precedence’. That’s my query here, can this open a can of worms?
And really, I would prefer that the communityie club owners started dealing with the problems,ie acceptance of difference, rather than ignoring it (hetero clubs) or to propagate it (Peel).
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‘And it’s not about race. It’s about behaviour. Why are people who aren’t white so keen to go to a club for white people, anyway? White people don’t exist to help black people feel cool or risque. We’re not there for their entertainment.
A lot of us just want a space for people like us. Unless you are white, you have no idea how isolating the outside world can be.’
Just quoted you, but exchanged all references to sexuality with ‘race’. Stop the prejudice – it’s really ugly to read.
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The analogy doesn’t work, because you flipped the roles of the privileged and the marginalised.
Why is it the role of queer people to help straight people feel better about being straight? FFS. You are not oppressed, give it up.
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Did anyone think that as a gay man trapped in a straight woman’s body, going to a gay bar IS where I can hang out with ‘people like me.’ If they don’t want heterosexual predators, they should instead discriminate against the sleazy security guards who tell their friends ‘you should go to The Peel, there are plenty of drunk girls there to prey on’. That’s not even to mention the older gentlemen of questionable sexuality that sit at the tables and leer at EVERYONE
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I think it’s ok for places to discriminate sometimes as a matter of policy. So what if a gay bar only wants gay behaviour? I don’t see anyone here complaining about the Fernwood policy of no men There are times when it’s quite ok for like minded people to do their own thing without the other sex, or other sexualities making big noises about “their rights”. I can’t stand women in footy change rooms and think they should be banned, but that’s just me.
So, their place, their rules, if you don’t like it, boycott it. If enough people make it known why they don’t go then there may be a change of heart if the business starts losing money.
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Actually, I think that Fernwood policy is bullshit!
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Too right! So many times i have been to the peel with my good male gay friends and been told that i am not allowed in because of my gender and sexuality. It’s 100% discrimination. Rights aren’t just for straights or gays, they are for everyone and they should be equal.
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Nightclubs are one of the last remaining places where judging ‘books by their covers’ is still okay.
I think ALL OF THEM have a lot to answer for … “Sorry, you’re not tall enough!”, “Sorry, your boobs are too small!”, “Sorry, your clothes cover too much of your body!”. So I now actively boycott the stupid places – I’m not going to be told whether I’m ‘good enough’ to go to any place in this world.
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I like to think (hope?) that any straight people attending such a venue would respect the place they are in and not display overtly hetero behaviour, in much the same way and for the same reasons that I don’t flaunt my homo behaviour when out in straight venues (which is almost everywhere).
I think The Peel are being excessively heavy handed and, by default, hypocritical with their policy. Sad, really.
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As a gay woman, with lots of gay male friends, the Peels policy feels extremely prohibitive. After being refused entry for the 2nd time over a year ago, I now sadly have to refuse those nights out with my friends after being so humiliated by a community I once thought myself to be a part of and now feel ashamed to be associated with.
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+1 with you
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I completely agree! I’ve been going to the peel for at least 3 years now and the new staff and policies are just horrible. My best friend has to give his name and number and almost assert that I am his ‘property for the evening’ & he will ensure I don’t leave his side, as that somehow breaks the rules?? Do I look like a jacket that’s needs cloaking?? No. The policies are downright embarrassing. If you want equality demonstrate it. not to mention the ridiculous flyers that gave me once, it’s just become a laugh there now
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Urgh, how bad is having to put down their name and number? I’d forgotton about that. And yes…. saying to my mate to make sure I don’t cause trouble, how insulting!!!
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“Sweet Jesus how can the owners of The Peel who, no doubt, believe in marriage equality”
Actually, Tom McFeely is a Liberal party member, who is more for ‘civil unions’ than marriage equality :s
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keep telling yourself that times have changed and they should only get better with people like you fighting for it.
in the early 70′s i was removed from a pub because woman werent allowed in the bar area, i waws to sit in the “lawn/ outedoor space”. My gay friends thought it was hilarious and happily went into the bar told everyone off and everyone in the bar left with them. things have changed since then.
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This is similar to what happened to me and some friends at Stonewall in Sydney once we got in the vibe was terrible, the bar tenders wouldn’t serve us and I just left when patron came up, asked me if I was gay i was like no and he says “you are so fucked up” I don;t think I can go back to a gay club now even though I have gay friends
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Thank god the Imperial in Erskineville isn’t like this. I go with my gay friends there sometimes and they would be horrified if I was treated this way.
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Yeah, I’ve never had dramas with the staff anywhere round Newtown. The girls at the old girls night at the bank could be pretty hostile though – demanding to know why I was there if I was straight. Um, cause I want to go to the pub with my friends?
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The Peel now and The Peel 3 years ago are so different, and disappointing. I started going there when my housemate had just “come out” and he needed the support of his friends, the peel was fantastic, accepting us both without a worry in the world, the music was great, there were go go dancers, drag shows and everyone was just incredibly friendly, including the staff and security. Cue me trying to get in a few months ago, I was the designated driver as I have put my drinking days behind me, I was semi expecting the lines at the door, what I wasn’t expecting was having my bag searched then being told I had to check it and if I didn’t I would be automatically thrown out. I didn’t expect being told if I was seen by myself, including walking to and from the toilet, I would be thrown out. And being told I would be thrown out for inappropriate behaviour? What does that even mean? It’s the peel. Everyone is inappropriate! It’s very sad to see what was once such a great place that made everyone feel welcome become such a cold and unfriendly environment. BRING BACK THE OLD PEEL!
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Great article. Effing incredible. Double standards much?
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Just don’t go to the Peel. A quick glance around their website and you will find heaps of regulations, rules and policies. Not much fun in all that.
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Amazing!!!
Like you said- imagine what would happen if this was reversed!!!
Doesn’t do much for equality and tolerance!!
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Well said! One of my besties is gay and he always told me about the Peel and what a fantastic place it used to be. I was dying to go there and when he said that I was only allowed to go with him (and only on a specified night) because of their sexist and discriminatory door policy, the excited I felt ebbed away. He no longer goes there because he feels, like you, the policy does more harm than good to the equal rights movement for the gay community. If this policy was in place at a ‘regular’ nightclub and it were gay people who had to agree to follow such rules, there would be uproar. Equal rights mean just that.
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I’ve been to The Peel a gazillion times, with both straight & gay friends. Always had the best time there, usually ending up laughing so hard we can’t talk. Always gorgeous men to dance with, who really do want to dance with you. No queues for the women’s loo. Winning really
The only time there was ever anything close to trouble was when one half of a gay male couple persistently tried to pick me up. Neither my boyfriend or his boyfriend were best pleased!
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By thie rules they are also excluding bisexuals… Have they thought of that? What if a bi boy wants to pash a bi girl?
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Wow. So that’s what sexuality-based discrimination feels like… (says the straight person)! Ouch. Now I need to imagine that attitude occurring several times a day in varying contexts, and then I might start to understand…
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Yes, exactly. Thank you.
I am not pro-discrimination as a general rule, but “heterophobia”? Pfft. Please.
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I’d argue a major problem is also that this discriminates against bisexual people, both men and women. It’s not just about straight people here. And many gay people have female friends who they might like to be able to go out with as well.
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This isn’t really that big a deal. I love the peel. Do I wish I could go there with just my female friends and get in? Yes. Would I like to kiss a guy there? Yeah, and actually, I have, but I guess no one noticed us.
But the Peel has a majority gays/males policy for a reason, and it’s not like you don’t know that when you go. Leaving aside the rather ridiculous designation ‘heterosexual behavior’, I think it’s fair enough to carve out a haven for difference when there are hundreds of places people are welcome to pash on with the opposite sex. Every night club has rules about who does and doesn’t get in – at least the Peel makes theirs explicit.
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Discrimination of any sort is not ok. If a club did the same in reverse ie told people no ‘gay’ behaviour was allowed I’m quite sure the issue would end up with some sort of legal ramification. This is attrocious and flies in the face of equality, genuine equality. As long as someone is behaving respectfully towards others they should be able to go in to any club, it shouldn’t matter if they are gay, straight or purple with yellow spots!! The segregation of ‘gay’ clubs and ‘straight’ clubs is like going back to ‘black’ clubs and ‘white’ clubs. It’s 2012 for goodness sake!
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Anyone else imagine Meryl looking like Pam from True Blood?
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That sort of attitude will see certain sections of the gay community – if gay marrriage is legalised – mount legal challenges against churches who for conscience reasons/religious beliefs refuse to conduct gay weddings. A group that are basically forcing people to denounce their repulsive heterosexuality before they can have a dance are not going to let religious freedoms alone.
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Ah, the Peel. Many a good times had at the Peel. Many gross, awful, seedy times too. I can’t stand the door policy, and I liked that FB page months ago.. It pisses me off so much.
I’ve never been denied entry, but you have to make sure the ratio is alright… If I’m with a group of friends, and there are two or three of us girls there, and only two or three guys… You wander around and wait in line with other males who can pretend to be there with you. You need waaaay more guys than girls to get let in.
To be fair though, no ones really missing out, and people really only ever go to the Peel as a last resort, the laaaaaast place to go to. The staff are really rude there and it smells funny. And it’s gosh-darn sexist. One time I did kiss a guy and no harm done, but if someone had of seen, we surely would of been kicked out. It’s bizarre, but oh well, it’s their place.
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Why the hell would you want to go there anyway? If it’s the last resort I’d much rather go home than go somewhere “gross, seedy and awful” and feel ostracised!
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That’s a fair point, and it is what I do now. But it is one of the only places open late and everyone always seems to end up there. It is fun, though, I must admit. Once you get inside and up on the podium……
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I actually got kicked out of the Peel many many years ago when I was 19 (ahem – 1997ish) for kissing a boy (straight). I had gone there with my gay male friends, and happened to run into a boy I knew who was there with his gay male friends. one kiss later…and it was out on the street for us. My friends at the time thought it was hilarious.
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Wow! That is nuts!!
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Let me start by saying that I do not, in any way, agree with how your friend was treated, and I believe this is a poor execution of what *may* have been an okay intention.
To elaborate, I live in Brisbane where there’s a handful of gay clubs. I have many gay friends and we often choose to party-down in a gay club. But lately, there has been an emerging trend of straight men and women going to these clubs.
That, in itself, isn’t a problem. My gay friends, and the gay community here in general, don’t mind if people want to come and dance to some Lady Gaga amongst a sea of vodka lime and sodas, but it’s when these people start coming to gay clubs not for the atmosphere, not to hang out and party down, but simply start treating the place as a hetero pick up joint.
The problem with this is that the more it happens, the more straight people come for that purpose, and then it happens even more. Before you know it, it’s no longer a gay club, it’s a gay-friendly straight club (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s a total change). In Brisbane, particularly, there are not too many gay clubs, so when they start being overrun by straight men and women, some of the gay clientele start to feel outnumbered, ostracized and like their ‘safe party sanctuary’ no longer exists. As a minority, it’s easy to feel bitter, when there’s so many other places these people can go, that you can’t (hopefully not so much anymore, but once upon a time that’s what it was like), and yet they still choose to come into your space and take over what was once yours.
I can understand why clubs would want to guard against this.
Again, to reiterate, I in absolutely no way whatsoever agree with The Peel’s policy, what they did, how they did it, and I’m not even 100% sure I agree with what they were trying to achieve. I definitely do not agree with discrimination of any kind.
I’m just trying to explain that maybe there was some twisted logic to it. Being a minority is much more difficult than being the majority.
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If minorities want to be treated the same as everyone else, then they need to stop acting like they are any different – imagine if someone starting saying their local pub used to have an awesome atmosphere and then all these gay people starting going there and now it’s not the same. They would be shot down in an instant.
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With all due respect, cabbagefairy, it’s not the same thing. If a gay man went to a club and made a pass at a fellow patron, there is a very real chance he could be physically assaulted. By comparison, getting kicked out for making out on the dance floor doesn’t sound so bad. Gay clubs are set up to provide a safe space for gay people. If the owners don’t want heterosexual people there then it’s their prerogative. There are plenty of other clubs for heterosexual people to go to.
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While I think you may have a point, I don’t think it’s quite fair to draw such a straight comparison. By simply saying ‘what if a heterosexual club did this?’ we’re ignoring centuries of context.
Generally speaking, heterosexual people have never experienced discrimination *simply for being heterosexual*. They are rarely made to feel like a second-class citizen. They are not abused or ostracised simply for showing open love and affection to their partners, the same way that homosexual men and women are/have been. They have never been told that who they love is wrong, or dirty, or inappropriate. They have always been ‘normal’.
It’s very easy to see this as a black and white issue (in fact, if that was the case I would say “The Peel is a privately owned club that can enforce any rules it wishes on its patrons. If you don’t like it, stop going there. When they stop getting business they’ll definitely change their tune about their entry codes”), but like the world, it’s full of a hazy areas of grey.
Again, I’m not saying that I agree with The Peel, I’m saying that maybe this was an (extremely misguided) attempt to fiercely guard a safe space for the gay community?
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I agree with what Sare said, it is easy to call this discrimination but the reality is, the policy is in place to protect the clientele. Sare spoke about Brisbane not having a real gay club anymore, another example I would add is Canberra.
Canberra’s not a very big place, but it has a gay club (supposedly). Over the years it has become a common place for straight men and women to look for pick-up or hook-up. On any particular night it is not so uncommon to see a large number of straight men, standing at the back of the club with drinks in hand, eyes fixed on the girls and waiting for their chances to make the moves. And soon you’ll find yourself surrounded by straight couples full on pashing up on the dance floor.
I am gay and I don’t feel comfortable about it; and I know the majority of my gay friends don’t, either. I don’t mind seeing some occasional straight pickup, but there are plenty of straight clubs out there, why don’t they go pick up in a straight club? Perhaps they come to a gay club to pick up because the perceived “competition” is less fierce? or perhaps because gay club is more relaxed about how you look or what you wear? Because of this, the only club in the city that’s supposed to be a safe and comfortable environment for gays and lesbians to meet and mingle has turned into yet another straight pick-up club. And mind you it’s not like we can just go to any straight club and publicly make out with other gay boys there. The few gay clubs in the city are the only real safe space we have.
I know there are many straight clubs in Melbourne that won’t allow in a group consists only of male, or primarily of males, because they are expected to go to “pick up” or otherwise intimate the female patrons. Many reject entry at the door outright without giving any clear explanation. It’s really the same thing for Peel, they are just trying to protect its clientele – although it’s a matter of debate whether it has been done in a tactful way. However, I think it’s fair to be upfront and outline their rules and expectation at the door, instead of just keeping people out based on the owner’s unspoken rule of race/gender/height/dress code.
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Are you joking, Cabbage? You have N-F-I.
WE are not the ones who have to stop acting ‘differently’. Actually, we do – we have to SUPPRESS ourselves. It’s the hetero / non-supporters community that has to stop treating US differently.
I can’t go ANYWHERE (walk down the street, straight bar, RSL, shopping centre) holding my girlfriend’s hand without people staring, pointing, GLARING evil looks, snickering, making us generally feel uncomfortable.
So that’s us, trying to act the same as everyone else, but EVERYONE ELSE treating us as different.
What planet have you been living on? Sorry, but your comment really angered me.
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I sort of understand some of the points you raise, but as part of the minority I just wish we didn’t even have “straight” or “gay” clubs at all – I wish people could just go wherever they want and pash whoever they want…I wish i was around in the 70s!
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Nath, I totally agree with you! I would have rocked it in the 70s.
Unfortunately, in sometimes-hicksville-Brisbane, people are so intolerant I want to cry. I’ve had a friend sucker punched in a “straight” club for having the audacity to hug a male friend goodbye. Apparently “nobody wants to see that, faggots.”
I don’t know, I guess I’ve gotten a bit jaded and overprotective in my views.
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haha ‘sometimes-hicksville-Brisbane’. Try ‘entirely hicksville Brisbane’. Brisbane is the most horrid place. And I live here! haha getting out ASAP though
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But isn’t that the aim? Isn’t that the end game that everyone talks about, namely people…gay or straight…hanging out together, getting with whoever they like, dancing however they like and with no segregation or awkwardness? If that’s what is naturally evolving why would you want to take a step backwards?
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I agree with you 100%. However, how can Peel refuse gay women? THAT is the b.s. part in my books.
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