I would come for charity events if the policy changed.” “We want to support the Wrangler but want the policy to change. “I’ve been watching the discussion between the Wrangler and the protest group, and feel our requests for a dialog have been denied,” she said. McGrath said some transgender people face legal or financial obstacles that prevent them from updating their ID photos, and gender expression is often more complex than ID cards show. An entire portion of our community is being denied access.” “There’s a belief that gender identity and drag queens are two separate things, but in reality there’s crossover. I have many customers who are trans men and women, and having an appearance-matching ID means they could get in quite easily.”īut protester Cait McGrath said she hasn’t seen enough of an effort from the Wrangler to address the protesters’ concerns.”I see what they’re trying to get at, but don’t agree,” she said. “I think they’re exercising their rights,” Newland said as he looked on at the protesters from the bar entrance, “but my policy simply states that we have to be able to tell you are who you say you are, and that’s not going to change.
State law, which requires that bars refuse alcohol to minors, allows establishments to set their own policies on how to ensure that doesn’t happen, while another state law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Since the boycott started, the Wrangler has stated its entrance policy has nothing to do with gender identity or whether an ID card’s gender marker is ‘M’ or ‘F’ - that the policy addresses only the appearance of the person compared to the appearance in the photo ID. “What we’re doing is trying to raise awareness about the discriminatory policy - we can’t fight for our rights against the right wing if we can’t be confident in our own community.” But, once the bar conquers its opening weeks it will be hosting regular events such as Underwear Night, which has been missed by many in the community since the Eagle closed its doors.“It’s not about the one incident I had, but the whole policy,” Marzano said. Trade will open on Wednesday, April 20, and while they work out the kinks will not be hosting any big events for a few weeks. “We just threw some lipstick on the pig if you will,” Chris said. In a month, the team of renovators has completely repainted the bar, installed paneling in the bathrooms, which give the bar a bit of a rustic Colorado vibe, reworked the liquor shelves and the fireplace, and added some upholstery to match the theme of the bar. Although they kept the carpet, the layout, and even some of the bar stools and tables, Ray, Chris, and a handful of willing volunteers have been working endlessly to whip the bar into their own space. “Since then everything has been just falling into place.”Įven though the plans have been “falling into place,” the amount of work that has been put into the building is huge. “We saw this transition period in gay night life happening, so we sat down with each other and talked it over and eventually decided that now was the time,” Chris said. At the time, The Eagle had yet to announce that it would be closing its doors, but they knew that the bar would eventually be moving. In January, when the building went up for lease, Chris and Ray called the landlord right away. But he knew that he always wanted to open a bar of his own. For the past decade, Chris has been a bartender in Denver working first at the Eagle for three years before moving on to The R&R, where he has bartended for seven years. It was early this year that Ray, alongside his business and life partner Chris, saw an opportunity to pursue one of their dreams: owning a gay bar. “We want to harbor a gay community not just for gay men,” Chris said. Leather Colorado 2009, so it’s something we know well. Chris was always in the leather scene and was Mr. “We decided on the Levi’s and leather theme because of our own personal affections for that certain community. “We want everyone to feel comfortable here,” Ray said.