Red Room Refuses Gays: Austin Bar’s New Owners Enrage LGBT Community

An Austin bar is refusing to serve gays after new owners took over the established business.

According to several members of the LGBT community, the Red Room’s new owners have advised staff members to turn away gay customers.

A popular spot for gay members of the community, the new owners announced on Friday that the bar will not longer be a gay bar.

Former bartender Josh Moon tells KVUE News that staff members were pulled to the side by the bars new promoter and told they needed to turn away gay patrons. On Friday night, the bar’s new owners outwardly told gay drinkers to leave the establishment.

Moon also says the bar’s bouncer was instructed to inform gay visitors, “This is not a gay bar anymore, you’re not welcome. You can’t come in.”

The Red Room’s new owners claim that a private event was being held and that is why members of the LGBT community were turned away. John Moon, however, tells a different story, Moon says the bar’s own Facebook page called the event its “Grand Opening.” Moon says there was never any indication of a “private event” of any kind.

The move lead Eater.com to proclaim, “No more rainbows at the Red Room.” Eater examined the incident further and found that Yelp reviewers were already blasting the bar with negative reviewers. A commonly posted photo on Yelp, which was taken at the bar, shows a sign that reads:

“No Gays Allowed: By Order of the Management.”

Moon further explains that management tried to use a new dress code to turn away gays:

“They said no shorts, no hats, no this…But then they were letting people in with shorts and letting people in with hats. They were turning gay people away for being gay.”

Welcome to the world of social sharing, Red Room management.

Do you think the Red Room is doomed because of its policy or its attempts to skirt around the issue with what appears to be easily exposed lies?