FORUMS > Group Activities Forum Rules

Hey all-

I'm considering starting a Guerilla Queer Bar group here in Denver ( ya know, where a bunch of us 'mo's secretly agree to all show up, en masse, at a normally "straight" bar for a few hours, socialize, and then depart )

I know there's one in Austin, and a couple of other cities.

I know it would be fun. Not in a snarky way, either.

A couple of my friends have expressed concerns, though. "Would we get beat up?" is the #1 question.

So I'm asking my RJ buddies from other cities to chime in - got any suggestions, thoughts, pointers, etc?

Thanks in advance.

facebook - though some people aren't down being part of a group with homo affiliations but can be tied in with an....


email group - folks who have friends who are interested in getting updates on events but aren't down with publicly showing they're part of the group can receive updates through regular email.

jms84 saidfacebook - though some people aren't down being part of a group with homo affiliations but can be tied in with an....

you can make groups private - so they dont show up on profiles.

Fable said

jms84 saidfacebook - though some people aren't down being part of a group with homo affiliations but can be tied in with an....

you can make groups private - so they dont show up on profiles.

that kinda defeats the purpose of random people finding the group through people joining.it's not meant to be a private friends only affair.

I don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

Start at Hooters. Those are always the most fun.

XRuggerATX saidStart at Hooters. Those are always the most fun.

OMG! If I have to walk into one more Hooters this year - I have gone far above my quota due to my softball team's... love of their "wings".

Yeah... that excuse has been exhausted!

jaydub said

XRuggerATX saidStart at Hooters. Those are always the most fun.

OMG! If I have to walk into one more Hooters this year - I have gone far above my quota due to my softball team's... love of their "wings".

Yeah... that excuse has been exhausted!

Hooters wings are the worst ever.

I'm pretty sure Denver already has a Gorilla Gay Bar group that has been in existence for awhile. I've heard that it's a riot and have wanted to join in the fun. Unfortunately living up in the mountains makes coordinating the schedules a little tuff. You might find their schedule by googling them. And FYI Metlboy, the primary difference is that the group is usually big enough (i.e. Busload O' Boys) to effectively comandere a straight bar and "turn it gay" by shear numbers of men and of course the occasional drag queen.

XRuggerATX said

jaydub said

XRuggerATX saidStart at Hooters. Those are always the most fun.

OMG! If I have to walk into one more Hooters this year - I have gone far above my quota due to my softball team's... love of their "wings".

Yeah... that excuse has been exhausted!

Hooters wings are the worst ever.

I know there is a "breasts" joke in there somewhere, but we're not straight so we're going to have to let that one go...

They have one in Charlotte. I don't know if it is still active. It was called take-over Friday. It became so large they had to start notifying the bars beforehand so they would staff up. They even did it at a strip club but I think the turn out was much less there. I only went to one but thought it was much better than going to one of the gay bars. If they can pull it off in Charlotte I'm sure you can do the same in Denver.

XRuggerATX saidStart at Hooters. Those are always the most fun.

LOL! --- I've never heard of this Guerilla Gay Bar movement before, but it's SO up my alley, I want to start one here if they don't already exist. In fact, I've been cooking up a scheme to upstage a production I have tickets to in November, basically in the same vein, but with no political merit whatsoever. We don't have Hooters here, never seen one (TG!), but we do have topless "Serveuses Sexxxy" breakfast diners in the East End that I've never been game to go to alone -- truckers, titties and screamers; what a hoot!

Here is the web page of the Charlotte one:

http://takeoverfriday.com/whatis.htm

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

It's a larger group, and the gays kind of "take over" the bar which can be fun. In Austin at least, it seems like there's a more varied selection of people that go to GQB than go out to the standard gabars on a Saturday night.

Wow I think this idea is brilliantly amazing. I would definatly be down if someone did something like that in St. Louis.

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

haha exactly what I thought when I read it

I'm doing it reverse in a couple weeks. Most of the events I throw attract a more straight, artsy crowd.

I am throwing one of my events, with a burlesque show included, at a gay bar. I want trannies, 1/2 naked girls, topless straight boys, ravers and bull dykes to party together!

Aero said

XRuggerATX saidStart at Hooters. Those are always the most fun.

LOL! --- I've never heard of this Guerilla Gay Bar movement before, but it's SO up my alley, I want to start one here if they don't already exist. In fact, I've been cooking up a scheme to upstage a production I have tickets to in November, basically in the same vein, but with no political merit whatsoever. But... we don't have Hooters here, never seen one (TG!), but... we do have topless "serveuse sexxxy" breakfast diners in the East End that I've never been game to go to alone on my own. What a hoot that'd be!

dude, i've been trying to convince my friends to go to one of those breakfast joints for a while now. but they all have girlfriends who are opposed... LAME.


and too make sure i'm still on topic

http://www.new.facebook.com/groups.php?src=fftb#/group.php?gid=5258460298

that's the ottawa Gay-Fare group on facebook.

BearCub17 said

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

haha exactly what I thought when I read it

laugh all you want... the point is those million dollar looks on the faces of those straight folks when they realized all of a sudden their local bar is full of homos. Then all the straights leave and the gays have a new venue for the night, rather than the same old gay bars everybody has been going to for years.

Boston has recently started up on this again and it has been a really big success, from what I understand.

http://groups.google.com/group/bostonguerrilla

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5757107804

As said in here already, facebook seems the best way to go.

Hunter9 said

BearCub17 said

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

haha exactly what I thought when I read it

laugh all you want... the point is those million dollar looks on the faces of those straight folks when they realized all of a sudden their local bar is full of homos. Then all the straights leave and the gays have a new venue for the night, rather than the same old gay bars everybody has been going to for years.

I guess the bars I go to have a pretty mixed crowd anyway, so perhaps the charm is lost on me.

Hunter9 said

BearCub17 said

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

haha exactly what I thought when I read it

laugh all you want... the point is those million dollar looks on the faces of those straight folks when they realized all of a sudden their local bar is full of homos. Then all the straights leave and the gays have a new venue for the night, rather than the same old gay bars everybody has been going to for years.

I have seen worlds collide and new understandings emerge from these events. The dive bars and super-hetero joints are always the most fun, if only because they are also the most frightening initially. The transformation in dymanic from 6pm to 9pm is remarkable.

At Hooters, a couple of the Hooters girls overheard a gay slur by a straight patron during one of these events. I'll never forget seeing a straight meathead homophobe get called out, loudly, in a crowded restaurant by four Hooter's girls. They made a glaring example of him in front of everyone. That is an experience he'll never forget. Loser.

Interesting idea. We have had this occur here in CT about 5 or 6 years ago. Queers just dropped by a coffee and tea bar in Hartford every Tuesday and word spread. Even with no announced gay night or advertising it's pretty much the spot to be on a Tuesday night for gays. A certain circle of people claim the credit for founding the gay night too.

It's called Tsaines for anyone who might every drop by Hartford.

hobronto said

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

It's a larger group, and the gays kind of "take over" the bar which can be fun. In Austin at least, it seems like there's a more varied selection of people that go to GQB than go out to the standard gabars on a Saturday night.

I guess that sounds kind of like "Dyke Night" that used to happen at the Homy Inn (one of the top 50 bars in the US! Woo! Go Omaha!)

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

Because it usually confronts homophobic heteros and helps them realize that they cannot hide from us. I would love to invade a straight bar, go up to some hot guy, and be like:

"now u see how it feels when some dude who ain't like u is in ur bar n makes a spectacle of it! U n ur 'gay friendly' str8 girl friend are ruining my game everytime you waltz into my shizz like it's Disney Land. Now stay outa my gay bars or have sex with me, ya god damn uterus-stabber!"

I guess I just don't understand or agree with this concept. Why not just go to your own bars or clubs? What would happen if 50-100 straight boys and girls decided to stop by the local queer bar on a Friday night and 'take over'?

Crimthann saidI guess I just don't understand or agree with this concept. Why not just go to your own bars or clubs? What would happen if 50-100 straight boys and girls decided to stop by the local queer bar on a Friday night and 'take over'?

It could make for a far less boring night. In Charlotte it only helps the bar owners. It started early before the crowds arrived. It did not scare away the straights because they usually choose places with a young hip crown anyway. If anything I would think it helped fill the place more quickly. It was even written up in the local paper. There was another bar near me where they usually finished the night after take-over. The first time I stumbled upon the take-over crown was when I was showing a gay friend the bar. When I noticed all the gay men I asked a guy who I was quite sure was gay if it was gay night. He seemed surprised by the question and said “I don’t know this is my first time here.” So I asked a group of gay guys standing in a circle. They seemed surprised by my question as well. One made some comment like “ it is a night to be happy.” Then I let on that I knew about take-over and he told me that it was the left over take-over crowd.

While I found the responses of both amusing what I found interesting was the lack of direct communication. I could tell by their reactions that both thought I was straight. Then they probably assumed that if I’m straight I must be homophobic. This is why I believe there need to be more places where gay men can be open with straight people. It is not just about educating straight people but making gay people realize there are not as many homophobic straight people as they think Unfortunately whenever I do stubble upon a mixed venue I find the gay men form such tight closed cliques that I always end up just meeting straight folks. So I suppose phobia is a 2-way street.

Crimthann saidI guess I just don't understand or agree with this concept. Why not just go to your own bars or clubs? What would happen if 50-100 straight boys and girls decided to stop by the local queer bar on a Friday night and 'take over'?

I tend to feel the same way. It kind of seems petty, like you're trying to cause trouble or desperate for attention. I get the humor in it and all, but I wonder how funny all the gay guys would think it was if 50 straight guys showed up in mass to the local gay bar just for some beers and a few laughs. I think it sends the wrong message and doesn't necessarily help matters when it comes to ingratiating the straight world to the gay world. Just my 2 cents

Crimthann saidI guess I just don't understand or agree with this concept. Why not just go to your own bars or clubs? What would happen if 50-100 straight boys and girls decided to stop by the local queer bar on a Friday night and 'take over'?

there was a reservation for 5 at my restaurant last night. when they got there is was 2 gay couples and their single gay friend... i'm pretty sure there's an italian restaurant in the gay village.

i don't see the point in this kind of segregation. so now that i'm out i should really only go to homo spots? this really isn't about going and being "in your face" to straight people, it's about being able to go to a bar that looks different, maybe has different music, and a chance to meet new people. In montreal at least each of the gay bars has a fairly steady clientele which fit in to a stereotype. so a take-over even would be a good way of everyone mixing together and not getting glares for not being a Twink and going to the wrong bar. it's not like a group of people are going to the bar EVERY night and trying to make it a gay hot spot, it's just for a night, and it's just for fun. you're not supposed to bring your sauna attire, and usually people don't hook up a sling in the bathroom to make up for the lack of "back room"

and for those bitching that straight kids ruin your game... suck it up. he coulda been gay and turned you down no matter how pretty you may be.

This reminds me of a night in a bar (straight college hangout) in Boston I worked in after college. A group of about 15 black men and women came on a Saturday night. They had some drinks and put a lot of coins in the juke box. When their music started playing they all got up and started dance. Within the hour the place got very empty. "It is awfully empty for a Saturday night", says my black friend. "You got that right", I reply. "You know why I think it is so empty/" He asks me. "It's obvious" I answered "The black crowd scared all the whites away." "White people have trouble dealing with being a minority." He tells me.


I feel the same as JMS on this one. Unless it is some type of sex or fetish club and I don't see why we should fear a little integration. The more progressive the society (and I can assure you Montreal is far more progressive than nearly every US city) the less the need to segregated.

jms84 said

Crimthann saidI guess I just don't understand or agree with this concept. Why not just go to your own bars or clubs? What would happen if 50-100 straight boys and girls decided to stop by the local queer bar on a Friday night and 'take over'?

there was a reservation for 5 at my restaurant last night. when they got there is was 2 gay couples and their single gay friend... i'm pretty sure there's an italian restaurant in the gay village.

i don't see the point in this kind of segregation. so now that i'm out i should really only go to homo spots? this really isn't about going and being "in your face" to straight people, it's about being able to go to a bar that looks different, maybe has different music, and a chance to meet new people. In montreal at least each of the gay bars has a fairly steady clientele which fit in to a stereotype. so a take-over even would be a good way of everyone mixing together and not getting glares for not being a Twink and going to the wrong bar. it's not like a group of people are going to the bar EVERY night and trying to make it a gay hot spot, it's just for a night, and it's just for fun. you're not supposed to bring your sauna attire, and usually people don't hook up a sling in the bathroom to make up for the lack of "back room"

and for those bitching that straight kids ruin your game... suck it up. he coulda been gay and turned you down no matter how pretty you may be.

It isn't about 'sticking to your own kind". I havent been to a gay bar in years. But the concept of 50+ guys going to a bar for the sole purpose of saying "we're here! we're queer" is just seems rather petty. I'm all about having a good time, but if the concept is defined by what 'jakebenson' said, then his idea of having a good time is ruining someone else's.

And by "years" I mean years. I think the last time I went to a gay bar was 2005 or 2006.

Agreed. I think the key is what is the "Motivation" for getting the group together and going there in the first place. If it's just because you all want to try out a new club cuz you're tired or bored of the gay ones than that is one thing, but if the sole purpose is to make some sort of statement like "We're here, we're Queer...deal with it", then that would be annoying to the regular patrons of that club and, in my opinion, detrimental towards trying to break down the walls between the gay and straight crowds. The "In Your Face" approach rarely works.

Crimthann saidI guess I just don't understand or agree with this concept. Why not just go to your own bars or clubs? What would happen if 50-100 straight boys and girls decided to stop by the local queer bar on a Friday night and 'take over'?

It does happen. What are you retarded?

Crimthann said

It isn't about 'sticking to your own kind". I havent been to a gay bar in years. But the concept of 50+ guys going to a bar for the sole purpose of saying "we're here! we're queer" is just seems rather petty. I'm all about having a good time, but if the concept is defined by what 'jakebenson' said, then his idea of having a good time is ruining someone else's.

Jake Benson tends to over exaggerate.

Or maybe you tend to underexaggerate the harmony between gay and straight clubs.

Allow me to assplain betch.

TOO often dumb bitches (either because they "don't want to get hit on by men" or because it's their fucking bachelorette party or because they're too fat to receive any compliments from guys at straight clubs) waltz into gay bars with their fucking benevolent bias screaming "OMG I LOVE GAY PEOPLE WHY WON'T YOU KISS ME!!!!" Then after a few weeks they bring in their boyfriends who act like THE AIDS VIRUS is floating around the air and the thought of talking to or touching another gay guy will bring about another holocaust.

I don't need this shit.

Meanwhile TOO often gays go into a straight club and feel like the thought of doing anything slightly gay means they are "being obviously and need to stop." This is a general rule (and does not apply to me because I'm overly butch and extremely aggressive when confronted), but so many of my friends have been approached by straight people at straight clubs telling them to go BACK to their gay bars if they want to be gay.

So the problem is the fact that straight people strut their sorry asses into gay bars like they're a celebrity feeding the poor in Africa but you can't touch them or talk to them unless their some bitch who wants to convert you for the night with her crapy extensions and faintly peach smelling crusted boobs. MEANWHILE gay people are not encouraged, or in fact confronted about being gay in straight bars.

Guerilla Queer Bar accomplishes so many objectives, and especially puts straight people in the place that straight people have put gay people.

Here's what it does:

(1) Allows gay people to go to places other than a gay bar while still feeling comfortable about being gay due to mass

(2) Displays straight people, especially guys, how intolerant they are because of their negative reactions to gay guys coming in their straight bar

(3) Encourages the straight bar industry to promote tolerance and acceptance of gays because gays tip better

(4) Helps de-segregate gay vs straight clubs

If straight people, especially straight guys, weren't such narrow minded fucks with gay people being in straight clubs with their "I dun mind if ur gay but don't hit on me" philosophy, then there would be no need for Guerilla Gay Bar. Meanwhile, that is not such the case.

*slow clap*

jakebenson said

Crimthann said

It isn't about 'sticking to your own kind". I havent been to a gay bar in years. But the concept of 50+ guys going to a bar for the sole purpose of saying "we're here! we're queer" is just seems rather petty. I'm all about having a good time, but if the concept is defined by what 'jakebenson' said, then his idea of having a good time is ruining someone else's.

Jake Benson tends to over exaggerate.

Or maybe you tend to underexaggerate the harmony between gay and straight clubs.

Allow me to assplain betch.

TOO often dumb bitches (either because they "don't want to get hit on by men" or because it's their fucking bachelorette party or because they're too fat to receive any compliments from guys at straight clubs) waltz into gay bars with their fucking benevolent bias screaming "OMG I LOVE GAY PEOPLE WHY WON'T YOU KISS ME!!!!" Then after a few weeks they bring in their boyfriends who act like THE AIDS VIRUS is floating around the air and the thought of talking to or touching another gay guy will bring about another holocaust.

I don't need this shit.

Meanwhile TOO often gays go into a straight club and feel like the thought of doing anything slightly gay means they are "being obviously and need to stop." This is a general rule (and does not apply to me because I'm overly butch and extremely aggressive when confronted), but so many of my friends have been approached by straight people at straight clubs telling them to go BACK to their gay bars if they want to be gay.

So the problem is the fact that straight people strut their sorry asses into gay bars like they're a celebrity feeding the poor in Africa but you can't touch them or talk to them unless their some bitch who wants to convert you for the night with her crapy extensions and faintly peach smelling crusted boobs. MEANWHILE gay people are not encouraged, or in fact confronted about being gay in straight bars.

Guerilla Queer Bar accomplishes so many objectives, and especially puts straight people in the place that straight people have put gay people.

Here's what it does:

(1) Allows gay people to go to places other than a gay bar while still feeling comfortable about being gay due to mass

(2) Displays straight people, especially guys, how intolerant they are because of their negative reactions to gay guys coming in their straight bar

(3) Encourages the straight bar industry to promote tolerance and acceptance of gays because gays tip better

(4) Helps de-segregate gay vs straight clubs

If straight people, especially straight guys, weren't such narrow minded fucks with gay people being in straight clubs with their "I dun mind if ur gay but don't hit on me" philosophy, then there would be no need for Guerilla Gay Bar. Meanwhile, that is not such the case.

narrow-minded. pot. kettle. black.

jakebenson said

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

Because it usually confronts homophobic heteros and helps them realize that they cannot hide from us. I would love to invade a straight bar, go up to some hot guy, and be like:

"now u see how it feels when some dude who ain't like u is in ur bar n makes a spectacle of it! U n ur 'gay friendly' str8 girl friend are ruining my game everytime you waltz into my shizz like it's Disney Land. Now stay outa my gay bars or have sex with me, ya god damn uterus-stabber!"

I think it would be totally justifiable to punch you for doing that in ANY bar. What if the guy you walked up to actually was gay? And also, do you people realize that there aren't "straight bars"? There are "gay bars" and "just bars".

Austin just did its 100th GQB.

See www.smokingbanana.com


I think it mostly started as a yahoo group, but that was 100 divided by 12 months ago. Times have changed since then.

metlboy saidI guess that sounds kind of like "Dyke Night" that used to happen at the Homy Inn (one of the top 50 bars in the US! Woo! Go Omaha!)

Gotta love any bar that has Cold Duck champagne on tap.

Will there be free AK-47's?

Great idea.

Take a look at this group in Pasadena -
http://pasadenagayborhood.com/_wsn/page4.html -
especially the news articles near the end.

I've attended a couple of these, and tho I'm not a bar person at all, I had a good time. Most of the men were open and into socializing, not cruising.

Do it!

providence had theres tonight
2nd friday of every month

CuriousJockAZ saidwhat is the "Motivation" for getting the group together and going there in the first place. If it's just because you all want to try out a new club cuz you're tired or bored of the gay ones than that is one thing...

That's exactly my motivation for wanting to do this!! Pretty simple. Try someplace a little different.

Some friends and I went out a few Saturdays ago to a "straight" bar and I was shocked at how "out of water" they seemed .. over silly stuff, like "how do you sign up to play shuffleboard" (put a quarter on the table) ... so I thought it might be fun to get them into a few different environments.

It ain't all about broadening the str8s horizons, kids...

metlboy said

jakebenson said

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

Because it usually confronts homophobic heteros and helps them realize that they cannot hide from us. I would love to invade a straight bar, go up to some hot guy, and be like:

"now u see how it feels when some dude who ain't like u is in ur bar n makes a spectacle of it! U n ur 'gay friendly' str8 girl friend are ruining my game everytime you waltz into my shizz like it's Disney Land. Now stay outa my gay bars or have sex with me, ya god damn uterus-stabber!"

I think it would be totally justifiable to punch you for doing that in ANY bar. What if the guy you walked up to actually was gay? And also, do you people realize that there aren't "straight bars"? There are "gay bars" and "just bars".

I think it would be totally justifiable to say that you're a complete idiot. A. Complete. Idiot. Do you know how much shit people get sometimes for going into straight bars? And you think there aren't such thing as straight bars? Of course it's not advertised, but it's obvious.

Do us all a favor and prove there are not "straight bars" by going in a couple and make out with your guy friend. I'm sure that will go over well.

If a bunch of gays go into a straight club, it shouldn't really matter. If it does matter in the club, then it shows how homophobic it is. And I'd stick a long island ice tea up anyone's ass who decided to punch me. Now go play in traffic friend.

metlboy said

jakebenson said

metlboy saidI don't understand this. How is it significantly different from just deciding to go to a bar with your friends?

Because it usually confronts homophobic heteros and helps them realize that they cannot hide from us. I would love to invade a straight bar, go up to some hot guy, and be like:

"now u see how it feels when some dude who ain't like u is in ur bar n makes a spectacle of it! U n ur 'gay friendly' str8 girl friend are ruining my game everytime you waltz into my shizz like it's Disney Land. Now stay outa my gay bars or have sex with me, ya god damn uterus-stabber!"

I think it would be totally justifiable to punch you for doing that in ANY bar. What if the guy you walked up to actually was gay? And also, do you people realize that there aren't "straight bars"? There are "gay bars" and "just bars".

That's absurd. There are straight bars, gay bar, and countless other types of bars. As long the Guerilla Queer bar groups are hurting anyone, why do you care? Why should anyone be punched just for making a statement about themselves? That's pathetic.