Earlier this year, Drew Droege wrote an essay, titled "Not Cute," for Out that urged gals not to throw bachelorette parties at his favorite Los Angeles gay bar, Akbar. As Droege wrote: "I used to have an issue with bachelorette parties at gay bars--ummm, we can't get married (most places), so please don't swing it in our faces at our bars. But on the other hand, I have plenty of wonderful straight friends who should be allowed to celebrate this huge occasion wherever, however they want... So, I don't resent Danielle because she's a straight girl--I resent her because she's a drunk, condescending asshole."
Now, another staple of the West Hollywood scene has gone one step further and decided to ban bachelorette parties until same-sex marriage is legal once again in California.
In a press release, David Cooley, The Abbey's owner, states the club's new policy on an "offensive heterosexual tradition [that] flaunts marriage inequality in the face of gays and lesbians":
Every Friday and Saturday night, we're flooded with requests from straight girls in penis hats who want to ogle our gogos, dance with the gays and celebrate their pending nuptials. They are completely unaware that the people around them are legally prohibited from getting married. Over the past 22 years, The Abbey has been a place that accepts everyone, gay, straight, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and everything in between. We love our straight girlfriends and they are welcome here, just not for bachelorette parties. It has long been a policy at The Abbey to deny admission to groups in costume, including Bachelorette regalia. Bachelorette parties had previously been allowed inside if they removed their costumes. The Abbey's Bachelorette Ban comes on the heels of a ban on Gay Marriage in North Carolina and a number of other states across the south. The Abbey encourages other gay-owned and operated establishments to institute their own bans as a sign of solidarity until Marriage is legal everywhere for everyone.
We can't help but wonder if Droege helped spur this on. And could Akbar be next?
