{"id":2550,"date":"2023-06-20T19:57:19","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T19:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.campariacademy.com\/en-us\/?p=2550"},"modified":"2023-06-20T20:23:45","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T20:23:45","slug":"how-are-modern-queer-spaces-evolving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.campariacademy.com\/en-us\/inspiration\/how-are-modern-queer-spaces-evolving\/","title":{"rendered":"How Has The Queer Space Evolved?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s a new era of inclusivity for bar patrons, as well as the people who work in them.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When is a gay bar not a gay bar? There\u2019s a new generation of venues that are queer spaces, yet are not, in the traditional sense, a gay bar. And while the traditional gay bar remains a time-honored safe space, some venues around the country are creating environments that are not just inclusive to all consumers, but also allow their staff to be their true selves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to create some sort of queer safe space that wasn\u2019t a stereotypical gay bar, that everyone was welcome at and that everyone felt comfortable,\u201d Stuart Weaver<\/a><\/strong>, a partner and general manager of a bar in Denver, says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t really have to do with the space itself. Since it\u2019s not about the space, it\u2019s about the staff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really fun to just be the person leading the ship and being able to be myself as much as I can be. The more myself I am, the more people are encouraged to be themselves.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Weaver describes his venue in Denver as \u201can honorary gay bar.\u201d There is a \u201cgiant\u201d rainbow flag outside the bar and the majority of the staff is queer. The staff is allowed to wear whatever they want (within the dress code); for example, when Weaver was asked to wear a blazer while working as floor manager, he opted for a shiny gold sequin blazer. \u201cEveryone loves it,\u201d he says with a laugh. \u201cIt\u2019s really fun to just be the person leading the ship and being able to be myself as much as I can be. The more myself I am, the more people are encouraged to be themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a way, a congenial cocktail bar that feels more queer is just a sign of the times. \u201cIt\u2019s a natural evolution of food and drinking culture in general,\u201d Alex Day<\/a><\/strong>, COO and partner at several acclaimed venues, says. \u201cThe zeitgeist has shifted overall. The demographic of people interested in this drinking and culinary culture has broadened significantly, so it makes sense that it would be inclusive of the queer community as well. The reality is that many of us like going to different types of bars, from dive bars to wine bars. There are queer versions of all those things, as well as straight-leaning versions of them. So it\u2019s becoming a bit more diversified.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt all starts with the basic ethics…it means communicating them loudly. Be very clear about what we care about.”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Part of the move into a diverse bar also has to do with a company\u2019s values, Day notes. \u201cIt all starts with the basic ethics of a company, and for us, it means communicating them loudly,\u201d Day says. \u201cBe very clear about what we care about. Vocalize as much as we can in conversations, our websites and in our books in an overt way but also a subtle way. It\u2019s not unintentional that I mention my husband frequently in published work, to not make it a big deal but also to make sure that representation is there.\u201d That leadership has translated to more awareness in hiring across his company, Day notes, which has resulted in a more diverse workforce and executive board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, Alex Negranza<\/strong><\/a>, Campari Italian Spirits Portfolio National West Coast Ambassador, has been attuned to how much training impacts how comfortable (or not) queer clientele can be made to feel.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was working in a famous cocktail bar, and it\u2019s easy when some white hetero guy wants a bourbon,\u201d Negranza says. \u201cBut no one really trains you on what happens when [a gay couple] comes in and they are holding hands. People don\u2019t know how to interact with that sometimes.\u201d Negranza says he would go out of his way to make his queer guests feel welcomed, noting that they might be surrounded by over 100 straight people. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty alienating,\u201d he says. \u201cI had to train staff \u2013 Hey, could you imagine walking into a space and everyone isn\u2019t like you? Would they ever go back there? You have to show kindness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evolution of the queer space means the burden is on other venues to make their guests, regardless of orientation, feel comfortable.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The burden of inclusivity is not on gay bars, which are historically safe spaces, Negranza. The evolution of the queer space means the burden is on other venues to make their guests, regardless of orientation, feel comfortable. \u201cFor a long time, we were taught no politics, no religion behind the bar,\u201d Negranza says. But as the political climate over the gay space has gotten more heated in recent months, including bans surrounding drag performance, for example, Negranza wonders if that rule needs to be overhauled. \u201cWhen being gay is inherently political, you\u2019re telling people they can\u2019t be visible behind the bar,\u201d he says. \u201cIt took me years to understand this was something I was allowing to happen. I had to go in to work and act straight, use my \u2018straight-person\u2019 voice, because I didn\u2019t want people to be like, \u2018What is this gay guy doing serving me cocktails?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really important that as we look to the future, it\u2019s ok to be political and it\u2019s ok to be revolutionary, especially right now, when people need safe spaces,\u201d Negranza says. \u201cWe need to make sure that allyship is not just performative.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From staff training to leading by example, three industry leaders answer the question: how does a modern bar welcome everyone?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23624,"featured_media":2551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,27],"tags":[],"global-tags":[],"theme":[],"class_list":["post-2550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration","category-trends"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Has The Queer Space Evolved? - Campari Academy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From staff training to leading by example, three industry leaders answer the question: how does a modern bar welcome everyone?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.campariacademy.com\/en-us\/inspiration\/how-are-modern-queer-spaces-evolving\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Has The Queer Space Evolved? 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