Badlands and the Pendulum are almost directly across the street from each other. They both stink, as do all gay bars. Substance abuse (whether legal or not; for they have BOTH) and Gay Rights just don't mix.
There
is definitely a SERIOUS problem with racism by many of our Caucasian
brothers. I myself have WITNESSED a white leather daddy step out of a
bar in the Castro, and holler down the street with a booming voice:
"I'm sure GLAD I'm not a Nigger." (That was three months ago.) The
constant influx of queer refugees from the deep south and midwest
effectively GUARANTEES a continued problem with racism (as well as
internalized homophobia and misogyny).
He was a rather LARGE
man, as was his companion (I think they were "bears")...but that did
not stop me from speaking out. I hollered back:
"Aren't YOU a sorry soul! I'M glad I don't KNOW you."
As expected, he snarled and hurled cuss words at me.
(Who
am I by the way? I'm a resident and gay activist of San Francisco since
1973. I've WITNESSED a lot staying in the same place--Gay Mecca--for so
many years. I'm also a "Caucasian vegan who did NOT vote for RayGun";
and 54 years young.)
Considering the issue of racism at The
Badlands Bar, I decided to return to hanging out at the Pendulum, to
support our ONLY real African-American gay bar in all of Gay Mecca.
However, I was threatened with IMMINENT and BRUTAL violence by a new
patron...right in front of the bartender Barren, and just a few feet
away from the other bartender on shift, Muggereet (no apologies if I
did not spell either name correctly.)
When Barren did NOTHING
but smile dumbly, I told him to kick him out. He did NOT, and it was
only after the threatening patron left, that I felt safe enough to grab
my jacket and LEAVE the Pendulum, never to return. (Said dangerous
patron is Caucasian, and a danger to all good folks who care to hang
out in the Castro. He is a hair trigger maniac, who may be the next
homophobic killer to find temporary REFUGE at the Pendulum.)
There
are at lease FIVE witnesses to this imminent threat on my
existence...who ALSO saw that the bartender did NOT kick out a
dangerous patron. Sad to say, I can NOT support the Pendulum as part of
my boycott against racism in the Castro. As I see it, BOTH bars should
be shut down...if ALL the long term employees at the Pendulum are NOT
fired and immediately replaced with true friends (not enemies) of the
black and queer community. At least THREE of the present employees at
the Pendulum are SABOTAGING real efforts to unite our community, by
participating in vicious back stabbing and manipulation of the patrons.
This also makes that bar a most DANGEROUS place for anyone to hang out.
(One could say as much for ANY of our bars, due to the violent nature
of many alcohol addicts...so let's just consider the Pendulum and
Badlands as textbook examples of what's so WRONG with gay bars these
days.)
Barren isn't the ONLY bartender there, who has either
ALLOWED or ENCOURAGED a seriously deranged person to threaten me with
violence and death...and done NOTHING about it. (Butty is another;
Henry also; and FrankyBoy who's no longer working there thank gawd
('cause he grew CHUMMY with a patron who turned out to have MURDERED a
regular patron, and was selling illegal substances via his work place).
This effectively puts my life at great risk simply for hanging out in a
gay bar, and even in the Castro, which is MY neighborhood, too. To
REFUSE to protect a patron from violence--when such protection could
swiftly and easily be achieved--is to PARTICIPATE with WILLFUL INTENT
to commit serious bodily harm (even death) to another patron; simply
because he or she is NOT part of this or that Castro-clone clique!
There
is also the matter of BULLYING and INTIMIDATION that goes on at the
Pendulum, by certain regulars against newer patrons. This does NOT a
welcoming atmosphere make! But in all fairness, I can't say that the
Pendulum has a problem with racism (in either direction). But the
problem they DO have is as EQUALLY abhorrent as racism...and for that
reason, does not bode well for that bar, regardless of the terrible
anti-black prejudice so prevalent in our Gay Mecca. The Pendulum is an
important landmark and symbol of LGBT black pride...and those who now
run it are taking advantage of that fact, in order to ply their OWN
selfish interests that continue to cause GREAT DAMAGE and HOSTILITY
within our long suffering community. (The new owner included, no doubt.
He knows where the cash registers ring!)
Along with racism and
alcoholism, the problems are: elitism, misogyny, internalized
homophobia, and (probably the MOST terrible): hard drug abuse. And they
ALL need to be addressed and resolved NOW, if we ever hope to beat down
the beast of homophobia, and turn our community into the shining
vanguard of a New and Peaceful Epoch. It will happen.
Unfortunately,
in order to GET from point A (anti-gay worldwide terrorism and
holocaust) to point Z (global queer liberation)...we must not only
declare war against a vast majority; we must also do same for a
significant SEGMENT of our own queer population. We can NO LONGER
afford such promoters of divisiveness and grief in our own ranks. They
are NOT allies; not even NEUTRAL powers. They are WILFUL SABOTEURS who
pretend a gay presence in order to PREVENT us from ever uniting at all.
MANY are actually bisexual, thus excellent fence jumpers and back
stabbers. They get to have their cocks sucked and asses licked while
ALSO stabbing our good gay brothers and sisters in the back. What a
pathetically SORDID bunch of dysfunctional goons!
We need NEW,
non-alcoholic venues to form a cohesive network of true liberators. It
is through THAT option we will successfully dismantle the demons of
racism, addiction, etc....including the MOST evil one of all:
homophobia. Do it now, or perish. Just remember one thing above all
else:
Many are called, but few are chosen...so step right up for your lederhosen!
