It’s also unclear whether the ATC even accused The Phoenix of violating this law. Louisiana law prohibits public and non-public “indecency,” but the law is vaguely written and selectively enforced. This last sentence is especially interesting seeing as the upstairs area of The Phoenix is a well-known “dark room” cruising area where men regularly hook up. We love hosting the local queer groups for monthly fundraisers and special events.Īs we work toward our hearing date, the entire bar is open, upstairs and down. We have been so honored to be a part of this community for more than 35 years. We plan on attending our hearing and stating our case.Īn attack on one of us is an attack on all us. The citations were not unlike what we have seen them recently give other gay bars.
In a public Facebook post, The Phoenix wrote:ĪTC cited us that we were in violation of some state laws. Its unclear what the bars have been accused of, but we have a few clues. This week (just one week before Mardi Gras), two prominent New Orleans gay bars, The Phoenix and The Rawhide Lounge, have claimed that the state’s Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) have unfairly singled them out for citations.
