Nellie’s Sports Bar has fired the independent security vendor it had hired to help with crowd control during this past weekend’s Pride festivities, and will remain closed for the remainder of the week.
The popular LGBTQ hangout was fiercely criticized on social media and protested by activists, including members of Black Lives Matter DC, after security guards were videotaped dragging a woman down the stairs by her arms and her hair. Some protesters called for the bar to be permanently shut down, and encouraged their friends and social circles to stop patronizing Nellie’s as a result.
The incident allegedly stemmed from a case of mistaken identity, according to the victim, 22-year-old Keisha Young. She told WUSA9 that she was mistaken for another patron who had brought an open container of alcohol into the bar, and was roughly accosted by security and dragged down the stairs.
In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the management of Nellie’s said it had “terminated, with immediate effect” the independent security vendor and that it would continue its own investigation into what happened.
“Our investigation into the matter is ongoing, and we will cooperate with any law enforcement investigation, however we do not need to wait for the investigation’s conclusion before we take decisive action,” the statement reads. “We offer a heartfelt apology to all who witnessed the horrific events of this past weekend. No matter what behavior occurred prior, nothing warrants mistreating, and disrespecting, one of our guests.
“What we can say is we have heard the concerns of the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities,” the statement continues. “Nellie’s will be closed this week as we evaluate this regrettable situation, though we will continue to pay all non-security staff their normal wages. In the interim, we will use this time to listen and understand what more we can do to create the safe and friendly atmosphere our guests have come to expect from Nellie’s Sports Bar over the past 14 years.”
Costco is facing threats of a boycott from social conservatives after the company refused to drop its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The board of directors for the company, the third-largest retailer after Walmart and Amazon, unanimously recommended that its shareholders vote against a proposal from a conservative think tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research, that would require the wholesale giant to evaluate and issue a report on the financial risks of maintaining its diversity and inclusion goals.
Shareholders are expected to vote on the NCPPR's proposal at their annual meeting on January 23.
Grindr, the popular hookup app for gay and bisexual men, released its annual edition of "Grindr Unwrapped," a compilation of cultural trends, sexual habits, and other statistics regarding its users.
Over the course of 2024, Grindr's users sent more than 130 billion chats, and "tapped" fellow users over 10 billion times.
Additionally, more than 2 billion private photo albums were shared. And, yeah, that's a lot of dicks.
Grindr surveyed its worldwide user base, in addition to compiling anonymous, aggregated profile data from user accounts, to identify sex, dating, travel, and pop culture preferences and trends.
Murray Hill will host King of Drag, the first-ever drag king reality competition series.
The series, which is slated to premiere this spring on the LGBTQ streaming network Revry, will run for six episodes and feature eight performers in competition for the title "King of Drag."
As reported by Variety, the series will be different from other reality competition shows because viewers will learn more about each contestant's backstory, what motivates them, and their goals should they win as part of each episode.
"Rather than rehash the format of other drag competition shows, the series' producers will showcase drag king’s unique talents, including comedy, unconventional performances, and timely commentary on masculinity, which has been part of the drag king subculture for decades," reads a press release announcing the show.
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