One more reason to diss a certain bar I can't stand! Love the bad publicity haha!
From today's Letters in The Washington Blade...J.R.’s should honor non-U.S. forms of ID
To the Editors:
I am an American living in Canada, and I recently visited Washington, D.C. for a conference. Much to my surprise, one of the city’s venerable gay bars — JR.’s — discriminated against me, denying me entry simply because I don’t live in the United States.
When friends and I went to enter the bar on Saturday, Aug. 24, the employee at the door asked to check my ID. I chuckled, actually, since I certainly don’t look like I am under 21, but it wasn’t a big deal — that is, until the employee told me JR.’s would not accept my driver’s license, issued by the Canadian province of Ontario, as a valid form of identification.
At first I thought he was joking, but he was serious. He told me that JR.’s only accepts U.S. driver’s licenses. He asked if I had my passport on me, but who carries around their passport when they are barhopping?
The employee at JR.’s told me that this was the law in D.C. But that didn’t ring true to me since every other bar I went to didn’t have a problem accepting my Ontario license. But if this is indeed the law, it doesn’t make sense in a world-class city that certainly has its share of international tourists.
In the end, JR.’s was the big loser since my friends (who have U.S. licenses) and I spent our drinking money at the city’s other gay bars. But still, this policy — whether in force by the city or JR.’s itself — is more xenophobic than sensible.
FRED KUHR
Toronto, Canada
-You know. First - I bet the door guy couldn't even find Ontario on a map. "No honey, that's Malaysia!"
Second, this is so illustrative of what's fucked up about American culture. I've been to about 17 countries and I've NEVER had to show an ID to get into a place to have fun or god forbid drink... except the U.S. I'm so tired of this place sometimes.
Daddy needs a rest... so me and my man are off to Puerto Rico until mid-September and I won't have time to update The Poison Pen like I usually do. In the meantime, check out The Blue Dog Speaks and Hortencia Carter's Big Mouth. I'm sure I'll have lots of gossip to report and catch up on when I get home!
