TBD

[James Ford]

below

[James Ford]

Why would they think it appropriate the dance in a sexual manner?

If I go to a show, I have no desire the see two or more people start grinding on the floor, especially if they are ugly. Doesn't matter to me what their gender or orientation is. There are other venues for that kind of activity.

From U ST Music Hall Facebook:

Saturday night at U Street Music Hall
by Will Eastman on Monday, July 9, 2012 at 4:58pm ·

Dear friends,

It's just come to my attention that Saturday night a security guard hired on contract at U Street Music Hall attempted to ask two men to leave the club for dancing with one another in a sexual manner. I'm aghast at hearing this. While the security guard was fired on the spot, I want to take this opportunity to say that I apologize to our community, especially our friends in the LGBT community, and I'm working right now to ensure this never happens at the club again.

As we expected a large crowd and long line Sat we brought in extra security on contract. This was a guard who evidently wasn't familiar with our culture at U Hall and had never worked at the space. If I were there I would have fired him myself and given him a few choice words. I don't know what else to say other than everyone at U Hall is just completely floored that this happened. I want to commend our two staff security guards who stepped in and prevented anyone being from being made to leave and our GM who made sure this individual was fired.

Hearing this situation breaks my heart to know that for two men just out having a good time at a night that was all about inclusion and feeling good about life and the future someone representing U Hall acted in a disrespectful and biased manner. U Hall supports everyone's rights and we'll continue to do so as long as we're around. If anyone knows the individuals who were approached by the security guard please ask them to contact me so that I can offer them a personal apology. I would DJ and host a free night at U Hall for them and all their friends and DJs in our community. Shirts not allowed.

If anyone has any questions or concerns or if you experience anything that just ain't right at U Hall please reach out to me directly at will@ustreetmusichall.com and I will do my best to address it immediately. Thank you to everyone who came out to the club over the weekend and thank you for helping make U Hall a supportive, inclusive and forward-thinking environment.

Will

[killsaly]

Im pretty sure it was a DANCE party with DJs and people DANCING, and not a bunch of people standing around with their hands in their pockets talking loudly while waiting for some alt country band to perform.

[James Ford]

Ya gotta draw the line somewhere...were patrons warned that dancing in a sexual manner was not appropriate?

Im pretty sure it was a DANCE party with DJs and people DANCING, and not a bunch of people standing around with their hands in their pockets talking loudly while waiting for some alt country band to perform.

[Vas Deferens]

Robyn DJ set. I'm sure lots of gay men were there

Im pretty sure it was a DANCE party with DJs and people DANCING, and not a bunch of people standing around with their hands in their pockets talking loudly while waiting for some alt country band to perform.

[atomicfront]

Im pretty sure it was a DANCE party with DJs and people DANCING, and not a bunch of people standing around with their hands in their pockets talking loudly while waiting for some alt country band to perform.

Alt-Country is the worst genre of music in the history of music.  Anyway if James Ford doesn't like people grinding on each other maybe he should just not  look at them.  And why should his judgement of their attractiveness matter.  First his comment on Muse and now this.  He does know how to annoy.

[sweetcell]

From U ST Music Hall Facebook:

that was pretty classy of USMH.

Why would they think it appropriate the dance in a sexual manner?

If I go to a show, I have no desire the see two or more people start grinding on the floor, especially if they are ugly. Doesn't matter to me what their gender or orientation is. There are other venues for that kind of activity.

reaching much?

it's a dance club.  people making out on a dancefloor or otherwise "dancing sexually" is a regular occurrence.  and while you might not want to see it, it's not grounds for being kicked out.  at most security could ask for a little decorum, if the club's decorum doesn't allow for such behavior, but it's not something you should be ejected for.  and i suspect the subtext here is that they were called out because they were two men and not a hetero couple.  as the co-owner wrote, discriminating against gays isn't something they do.

[sweetcell]

He does know how to annoy.

correct.  it's called trolling.  right now he's probably giggling at how he successfully managed to stir this little pot.  well played, james.

[Relaxer]

James Ford accidentally mistakes a strip bar for a Men's Wearhouse.



"AAAAAHHH MOTHER HELP"

[wml7]

haha, good one 

[Jaguar]

Im pretty sure it was a DANCE party with DJs and people DANCING, and not a bunch of people standing around with their hands in their pockets talking loudly while waiting for some alt country band to perform.

POTW!

James needs to move to one of those Dirty Dancing kind of counties where the only thumping that goes on involves bibles. There probably won't be any Alt-Country but they've got plenty of good old boy real Country music, but mostly of the baaing about sheep type. (I don't know any of the names of the songs but the ones that intertwine sheep and bibles in the name of the Lord.)

That was a class response, Will. Good for you and the U Hall!

[James Ford]

Why not just go to a sex club, a swingers club, or an orgy if you're looking to show with your partner or bump and grind random strangers in a public setting?

I'm not a dance club person, but isn't it quite possible that many dance club patrons go there simply to dance rather than to simulate sex or have to watch others do so.

[azaghal1981]

"Dance club" has meant little more than "meat market" for decades now. That's just what happens there. And like others have mentioned, the couple in question were only kicked out because they were of the same gender; the security guard in question probably left a fair amount of straight couples doing the same thing alone.


Side note: above is perfect example of why using contracted security is never a good idea.

[James Ford]

Isn't it kind of a judgement call as to what his intentions were? Was the guy questioned about his intentions, or just fired on the spot? So the bottom line for security is you can never throw two gay guys (or two or more of anybody) out of a dance club if they are behaving in a sexual manner?

"Dance club" has meant little more than "meat market" for decades now. That's just what happens there. And like others have mentioned, the couple in question were only kicked out because they were of the same gender; the security guard in question probably left a fair amount of straight couples doing the same thing alone.


Side note: above is perfect example of why using contracted security is never a good idea.

[RatBastard]

As long as any 'rules' are applied equally to all patrons, the act of asking these two guests to leave, in and of itself, is not offensive.  If the 'rules' are not applied equally, the fact that it involved any specific individual guests and their personal attributes is not of consequence.

The story, as it is written, is incomplete.