The Philadlephia Gayborhood, allegedly the very first official gay enclave in the United States, has in recent years undergone a reckoning with the many ways that its bars, often considered to be havens for their queer patrons, have proven to be unwelcoming, especially to people of color. Morrison said they will “continue to work with community partners” while the investigation is ongoing. Pope's death is a tragedy and his friends and loved ones are in our thoughts during this incredibly difficult time,” Celena Morrison, executive director of Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs, said in an email to Them.
Mainline Security did not respond to Them’s request for comment, but according to one news report, private security companies are not required to offer employees training of any kind. Both Tabu and the bouncer are cooperating with police.
On March 27, at Voyeur Nightclub, a security guard broke a bone in someone’s neck while involved in an altercation, and on April 3 at U Bar, a security guard choked and slammed a patron to the ground, giving the person a head injury, according to police reports obtained by WPVI. Keisha Young is just one of many to suffer from the gentrification of D.C.’s Black queer spaces.Įmployees of the company are responsible for attacks at two other gay bars in the area in recent weeks, according to WPVI.
