04/29/2008
Canadian Woman Settles Complaint with Montreal Gay Bar
You may remember in May of last year I posted about Audrey Vachon, a Canadian woman who filed a complaint after being thrown out of Montreal's Le Stud bar because it has a "men only" policy.
The Canadian Press reports that the bar and Vachon have settled the discrimination complaint: "Bar Le Stud and Audrey Vachon, the 21-year-old woman who launched the complaint, agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential. Quebec's human rights commission says businesses have the right to attract a particular clientele but not to discriminate by excluding other customers. Vachon sat down at the bar with her father for an afternoon beer a year ago when staff told them women were not allowed. Le Stud owner Michel Gadoury said at the time women had been banned most nights since the bar opened 11 years ago."
Posted 3:30 PM EST by Andy Towle in Canada, Discrimination, Gay Bar, Montréal, News | Permalink
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Hmmm. Interesting discussions. I do think that ANYONE who excludes ANYONE ELSE from a business, specific clientele or not, is not very open-minded. Some gay bars in some of the bigger US cities are now opening their businesses to 'outsiders' once a week. Lets them see how the other half lives.
It's NOT "Us vs. Them". It's US Together. Good to be non-exclusionary. Good to foster good business. If someone is disrespective to someone else, show 'em the door. Otherwise, co-habitate peacefully, eh?
Posted by: AaronJ | Apr 30, 2008 5:05:18 PM
So we should all be mixed up together sort of like forced equity socializing. I think then a bunch of straight men should be allowed to attend the Michigan Women's Music Festival as well as all the lesbian bars in any town plus the lesbian bathhouses put on a few times a year in bigger cities -- let's see -- how about women's groups of any kind that segregate against men -- get the straight men in there -- discrimination works both ways. Why do women love wrecking gay men's fun!
Posted by: SID | Apr 30, 2008 6:12:29 PM
ps Jackie -- I have never heard the term "cockblock" -- I presume it is some heteronormative term used by straight women?
Posted by: SID | Apr 30, 2008 6:14:23 PM
Matt - so you are saying women can't be abused by their same-sex partners? Or are you saying that if they are they don't go to shelters?
What's good for the gander is good for the goose - you have women-only establishments, why not men-only?
She was just after money.
Posted by: Shane | May 1, 2008 7:29:30 AM
Sid, I completely agree with that statement. I believe that allies- no matter what gender, sexual orientation, race, whatever- consider themselves as such because they wish to align themselves with any number of communities. So, if progressive-minded men want to join these women's festivals and groups and whatever, I say why not. We should learn from people who are different than ourselves. Discrimination of any kind should not be tolerated, which I hope we can agree on.
Oh, and by the way, I don't enjoy wrecking the fun of gay men. I enjoy being a part of it.
Posted by: Jackie | May 1, 2008 7:04:08 PM
I completely disagree that everyone should be allowed to participate in everything. First of all, its a CLUB. Throughout history clubs have always been able to set its own standards for members who want to participate. This same form of "acceptable sexual discrimination" seems to be allowed around us without being scrutinized in the form of fraternities, sororities, counrtyclubs, spa and fitness clubs, and sports; Why should things be any different when a bar owner decides that they want their bar to be a men's or women's only club? Justice always seems to point in a women's direction when it comes to sexual discrimination. Being a man, I if I was to complain that a lesbian club is not allowing me to participate, could I too get PAID? I need to renew my Curves membership today while a rest my case.
Posted by: Duane | Jan 30, 2009 7:57:58 AM