Peoria gays react to unwelcome sign

[romantico]

Posted: 4/17/09 at 10:05pm

In bright yellow capital letters, the sign on the karaoke bar in downtown Peoria was clear: "WE ARE NOT A GAY BAR!!"

The local gay community got the message. And it apparently was just the rallying cry it needed.

In a flurry of forwarded Facebook, MySpace and text messages, a coalition quickly mobilized and dozens of gay rights supporters lined up last weekend outside The Elbo Room to express their outrage. The sign, they said, might as well have read, "Gays are not welcome here."

"The sign was basically a sign of intolerance, and we're not going to stand for it anymore," said Stephanie Worlow, 27, one of the organizers of the protest that drew nearly 40 people. "It's time that we as a community stand up for ourselves. We're not going to stand for intolerance anymore."

The group held three protests last weekend, one of which drew the attention of paintballers, who fired on the crowd. Police had no suspects in that attack.

snip....

"This is the first time we've mobilized for a situation like that," said Dawn Scally, 35, of Peoria Heights. "Let's finally do something and get together and stop taking everything as it comes. Let's take a stand and try to have a voice for the community."

For decades, the bar on Main Street had been called the Quench Room and was known as a gay bar, longtime residents said. In the 1990s, ownership changed hands and it became a karaoke bar, said Peoria Councilwoman Barbara Van Auken, whose district includes the bar. Although gay patrons continued to frequent the spot, tensions between them and the bar owner have boiled over recently concerning public displays of affection, according to the gay customers.

"I had my hand on my girlfriend's knee and I was told, 'We don't do that in this bar,' " Scally said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-peoria-gay-bar-17apr17,0,7371226.story

Posted: 4/17/09 at 10:34pm

Incidentally, that is the only bar in Peoria that DOES NOT welcome lesbian displays of affection.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/17/09 at 10:37pm

Can we just get a bunch of buses and move all the gays out to the coastal areas? I wasn't even aware there were gay people IN Peoria.

Posted: 4/17/09 at 10:50pm

To coin a phrase, WE ARE EVERYWHERE.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 8:17am

Went to college there in the 70s. All I can say, as a gatherer of anecdotal evidence in, er, "graffitti,", it certainly seemed the Tearoom Capital of Illinois.

[Q]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 8:29am

"Can we just get a bunch of buses and move all the gays out to the coastal areas?"

This type of sentiment just cracks me up.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 9:16pm

It made me snicker, too!

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 9:17pm

You know I was being sarcastic, right?

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 8:15am

JoeKv99...when I was in Fort Lauderdale a few years ago I visited a little store and they sold merchandise with that "phrase"...looks like they are in the process of fixing up their website though: http://www.wereeverywhere.com/

[Q]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 8:49am

"You know I was being sarcastic, right?"

No, at least I didn't - but I'll take your word for it.