June 16, 2016
Why gay bars like Pulse have been central to LGBT rights
Nightclubs and bars have been pivotal spaces for social activism and acceptance for the LGBT community, says Waterloo leisure expert
The Orlando massacre that has shocked the world is devastating not only for its scale, but also because it happened in a gay bar - a place where LGBT people have historically found sanctuary, says a Waterloo expert on leisure and sexual identity.
“The gay bar is the one, central leisure institution that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, even if they aren’t fans of bars, can be assured that they will find others who share their identity”, says Corey W. Johnson, a University of Waterloo professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies.
“The fact that this mass shooting happened in a gay bar, the severity of the situation, the religious and racial politics and that it happened in a typical ‘safe’ space , is part of the reason it’s having such a huge impact on the LGBT community,” says Johnson, who researches discriminatory practices in leisure and teaches courses on social justice, gender and sexuality.
Gay nightclubs are pivotal in gay rights movement
“In some ways, gay bars are expressive places where people test out and explore their LGBT identities,” said Johnson. “They’ve also been a really pivotal space across the history of the LGBT rights movement.”
Forty-nine people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, the deadliest mass shooting in American history. Johnson noted that the 1969 Stonewall riots started after a police raid of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. For many, the raid is remembered as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the US.
Pulse was founded by a woman whose brother died of AIDS
Pulse was founded by Barbara Poma, in honour of her older brother John who died from complications due to AIDS in 1991. In a recent media interview after the shooting, Poma described how she wanted to create a “safe place” for the gay community in Orlando. Over the years, Pulse has become a community hub for HIV prevention and immigrant rights. Johnson pointed out that the Orlando shooting is complicated by the fact “it happened on Latino night, so we have to consider the implications of the intersection of race and LGBT identity in this particular case.”
Johnson hopes the tragedy will spur more people to get involved in the fight for LGBT rights.
University of Waterloo Recreation and Leisure Studies professor Corey Johnson
“Even if you don't identify as LGBT, this is an issue impacting our youth, your family or friends and colleagues. Our heterosexual allies will have to step forward and do their part to foster a more accepting climate.”
Candlelight vigil scheduled for Thursday June 16 in Waterloo
Johnson, along with representatives from the University’s Federation of Students Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity, (Glow) will be attending a Candlelight Vigil for the Orlando Shootings in the Waterloo Public Square on Thursday June 16 starting at 9 pm. Representatives from Glow will speak at the vigil.
Jeremy Steffler, a member of the University of Waterloo’s Working Group on Sexual and Gender Diversity, which is part of the Provost’s Advisory Committee for Equity, and current Chair of the Waterloo Region Rainbow Coalition, is one of the community organizers of this event.
“It is very difficult to find the words to express the impact of incidents such as this on individuals who identify with a diverse range of sexual orientations and gender identities,” said Steffler. “These acts must be condemned, those directly impacted must receive the critical support they need, and, from a local perspective, our community must band together to reaffirm our support for members of the Rainbow Community, to counteract the fear, anxiety, and sense of isolation that events like this can generate.”
Joyce Tsui, a Glow volunteer and computer science and business administration student, said: “June is Pride month and we at Glow are heartbroken that this violence happened, especially at this time when we’re supposed to be celebrating love and individuality.”
Supports for LGBT, queer and questioning people
The University of Waterloo’s Equity Office has a website that lists support services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer and questioning people in the campus community. Tsui said the Glow office in Room 2102 in the Student Life Centre, is open to any student who would like to share their thoughts about the Orlando shooting or who are seeking other supports.
Johnson added: “Even though our young people on campus might not be directly impacted by a shooting that happened hundreds of miles away in a different country, it serves as a conscious or unconscious reminder of the every day reality that violence could easily happen to them.”
