Charlotte Pride

[voyager12]

In this week's installment of things Gay in Charlotte ..... I attended the monthly Charlotte Business Guild meeting at the Vanlandingham House on The Plaza last night. This month's topic was Takeover Friday and the three founders were there to give us the background and the reasons for the great success of this roving gay party group. Restaurants and bars all over Charlotte compete to host these events. It shows the power of the gay dollar and also helps to increase gay visibility which is important in helping to make Charlotte more gay accepting. Yesterday evening, The Takeover Friday Guys told us they were turned down for the first time by a venue and told quite bluntly by the owner that gays were not welcome at the establishment (Macintoshes Grill on South near the intersection with East) oops did I say the name?

Edited January 18, 2007 by voyager12

[PlazaMidwoodGuy]

Yesterday evening, The Takeover Friday Guys told us they were turned down for the first time by a venue and told quite bluntly by the owner that gays were not welcome at the establishment (Macintoshes Grill on South near the intersection with East) oops did I say the name?

Guess where I won't ever be eating or spending money!

[voyager12]

I also want to mention that The Asheville Purple Pages will be coming out with a Charlotte edition this spring. I think this directory will be a helpful resource in encouraging Charlotte gays to support businesses that support them

Edited January 18, 2007 by voyager12

[Miesian Corners]

In this week's installment of things Gay in Charlotte ..... I attended the monthly Charlotte Business Guild meeting at the Vanlandingham House on The Plaza last night. This month's topic was Takeover Friday and the three founders were there to give us the background and the reasons for the great success of this roving gay party group. Restaurants and bars all over Charlotte compete to host these events. It shows the power of the gay dollar and also helps to increase gay visibility which is important in helping to make Charlotte more gay accepting. Yesterday evening, The Takeover Friday Guys told us they were turned down for the first time by a venue and told quite bluntly by the owner that gays were not welcome at the establishment (Macintoshes Grill on South near the intersection with East) oops did I say the name?

I can understand a business not wanting a huge group of any orientation in the bar area of a fine-dining establishment, but I CANNOT understand the stupidity of saying something like "the gays" are not welcome in the restaurant, period. Bad marketing, McIntosh! Who exactly do they think has more disposable income for things like buying a $40 steak?

[voyager12]

My first reaction was the same MC. I was hoping that it was a question of crowd and not orientation but the Takeover Friday Organizers said it was quite clear that he had issues with having gays in his restaurant and I am taking their word for it. And as wrong as I and some other people may think his stance is, it's all perfectly legal. Federally and locally there no laws barring this type of discrimination.

Edited January 19, 2007 by voyager12

[Charlotte_native]

I can understand a business not wanting a huge group of any orientation in the bar area of a fine-dining establishment, but I CANNOT understand the stupidity of saying something like "the gays" are not welcome in the restaurant, period. Bad marketing, McIntosh! Who exactly do they think has more disposable income for things like buying a $40 steak?

They should go back to the original format of Takeover Fridays and go unannounced. It would be interesting to see the owners / management squirm out how to get the horrible gays out of the bar. I can't say I'm much of an activist, but I'd enjoy going to this.

[monsoon]

They should go back to the original format of Takeover Fridays and go unannounced. It would be interesting to see the owners / management squirm out how to get the horrible gays out of the bar. I can't say I'm much of an activist, but I'd enjoy going to this.

That approach will just give Gays a bad name. Most restaurant owners in this city welcome Gays and Lesbians but they would certainly like to be notified if a big crowd was getting ready to show up as it is really tough to handle something like this with no warning.

[Charlotte_native]

That approach will just give Gays a bad name. Most restaurant owners in this city welcome Gays and Lesbians but they would certainly like to be notified if a big crowd was getting ready to show up as it is really tough to handle something like this with no warning.

I wouldn't have suspected entering a place of business and spending my money would give me a bad name. Now if some decided to up the ante in their actions, maybe so, but I think everyone could keep their shirt on for at least an hour!

Edited January 19, 2007 by Charlotte_native

[Charlotteman]

The owner of Macintoshes has just cut his own throat. When the word spreads, I can't imagine any gay people throwing their money away to such an idiot as him.

It can only hurt him in the hetero community as well. Bigotry hurts business.

[monsoon]

It does not seem to have hurt the Cracker Barrel. They were very anti-Gay at one time.

[Charlotteman]

That is true that Cracker Barrel was overtly anti-gay at one time. When the news hit, I distinctly remember seeing a discussion about it on a TV news show. A TV preacher was on, defending Cracker Barrel's policy, and he also found the time to personally insult the young lesbian who was at the forefront of the controversy.

A national gay boycott was instituted, although it's unclear if it did any good. But the news of the bigotry stayed on most people's minds, long after Cheryl the lesbian chef was fired.

Now the company has reversed it's horrible bigotry. The negative publicity couldn't have helped the company.

Same with Coors beer. At one time Coors Sr. gave lots of money to right wing causes, and candidates etc. Now his grandchildren own the company and have done a 180 on grandad's foolishness. Coors is now a major contributor of gay causes.

[monsoon]

There were sit ins here in Charlotte and I was involved in them. They really did no good.

[Charlotteman]

According to Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Cracker Barrel Restaurants instituted the anti gay employment policy in 1991. The Foundation asserts that public pressure lead the company to rescind the policy in 2002. Now gays are protected in the company's hiring and employment policies. However, partners of gay employees are still not allowed insurance benefits, as hetero spouses are.

a sidenote: Transgendered persons still face an uphill battle with the company's hiring policies.

[Charlotte_native]

There were sit ins here in Charlotte and I was involved in them. They really did no good.

It makes me feel better to just keep my money away from the bigots and easily and happily support those good to us! In the end it just makes them (McIntosh's owner) look like a mean fool living in times past.

[Charlotteman]

Charlotte native I totally agree. Bigotry hurts business--it's a fact. I'm sure most people in Charlotte would never support such nonsense.

[monsoon]

Ahh that is good to know. Maybe what we did during 1990 and 1991 had some good come from it.

[Charlotte_native]

Ahh that is good to know. Maybe what we did during 1990 and 1991 had some good come from it.

Things have changed, though there is still plenty of room for more, but I'm sure each incremental step came from actions that people have taken in the past.

[voyager12]

Has anyone here felt anti-gay vibes from any other restaurants in Charlotte? I have not, although the looks of curiosity from some hetero couples gets old even when I am with a friend and not on a date two men dining in a fancy restaurant together just doesn't blend in with the straight couple at the table next door. It makes one feel like an animal in a zoo Regarding Macintoshes, I suppose one option would be a hostile takeover but why give them so much money? I think boycotting the place makes more of a statement. Takeover Friday is also planning a trip down Btyne way....I think I heard Table Restaurant was in the running. This surprised me since the Myricks runs the place, maybe Sue had a change of heart and will be there to welcome us. Not.

[uptownliving]

This surprised me since the Myricks runs the place, maybe Sue had a change of heart and will be there to welcome us. Not.

Her son is the one that runs the place and he is quite gay friendly. Takeover has been held a couple times at his downtown restarant Blue and the last time I was there for takeover Alex Myrick came around and shook everyone's hand and let them know he was glad they were there.

[voyager12]

Ah. I was at Blue for the Takeover last night. The employees were great. I did not know they owned that place as well. I happily stand corrected on Alex Myrick's viewpoints at any rate...

[Miesian Corners]

Takeover Friday is also planning a trip down Btyne way....I think I heard Table Restaurant was in the running. This surprised me since the Myricks runs the place, maybe Sue had a change of heart and will be there to welcome us. Not.

Alex Myrick is not Sue's son. He's her step son. She had an affair with Mr. Myrick (they were both married to others at the time) and subsequently they both got divorces and married sometime in the late 1980s. Yeah, she's morally superior.

[monsoon]

Has anyone here felt anti-gay vibes from any other restaurants in Charlotte? I have not, although the looks of curiosity from some hetero couples gets old even when I am with a friend and not on a date two men dining in a fancy restaurant together just doesn't blend in with the straight couple at the table next door. It makes one feel like an animal in a zoo Regarding Macintoshes, I suppose one option would be a hostile takeover but why give them so much money? I think boycotting the place makes more of a statement. Takeover Friday is also planning a trip down Btyne way....I think I heard Table Restaurant was in the running. This surprised me since the Myricks runs the place, maybe Sue had a change of heart and will be there to welcome us. Not.

Other than the days of the Cracker Barrel, I can't say that I ever remember having this issue with any restaurant in Charlotte. The only bad experience that I have ever had in a restaurant for that matter was actually in Columbia, SC. My partner and I were returning from Charleston and we stopped in Columbia to have lunch. A bible thumping beotch felt it was necessary to come to our table and inform us that we were going to burn in hell if we didn't repent our sinful ways, etc etc. All we did was go in and sit down. My partner wasn't going to have much of this so he ended up grabbing her by the arm and throwing her and her bible out the front door of the restaurant. She didn't come back so that was the end of it.

There was a very well known drag queen in Charlotte, in fact a fixture of The Scorpio from it's very beginning, (not sure about now) who had a day job of running a BBQ restaurant in one of the blue collar parts of town. It was always a good time to go in there to see him in his male persona, and he recognize that "family" had arrived amongst the generally clueless clientale. It's a shame the place is closed now as they had some of the best BBQ and baked beans in Charlotte.

On the subject of Sue Myrick I have had an experience with her in a restaurant as well. It was fairly humorous and makes me think her real personality is a bit different from her political one. I have told it here before so I recommend a search if if you are interested.

[otherstream]

On the subject of Sue Myrick I have had an experience with her in a restaurant as well.

Strangest restaurant experience I ever had in Charlotte was back during the PTL years, when I found myself in line behind Jerry Falwell at the Burger King across from Eastland Mall.

There's no real story here; he didn't try to hit on me or start preaching or anything, and I didn't tear into him either, despite being much more militant in those days. The image of Jerry and his double cheeseburger has just amused me greatly over the years.

[voyager12]

One of the more amusing aspects of Takeover Friday events is observing the reaction of straight couples that arrive at the same time the party is going strong. Reactions have ranged from people running back out the door, looks of confusion to no reaction at all which I wish was was more common. The success of the events has spawned imitations in Columbia and Raleigh. Also, during this month's event at The Charlotte Business Guild the Takeover organizers talked about the responses they have gotten to past parties. Some of the emails have been pretty wild but what really made me think was when they mentioned all the sincerely grateful messages they get. Many emails come from deeply closeted men in the rural counties, guys who consider Takeover events their only link to other gays and are deeply grateful for being able to go to a place where they feel safe and accepted. Hearing this really made me think and gain some perspective. I can whine like a spoiled brat about Charlotte gaywise but compared to the life some guys in the countryside have to live, I have nothing to complain about.

Edited January 22, 2007 by voyager12

[PlazaMidwoodGuy]

On the subject of Sue Myrick I have had an experience with her in a restaurant as well. It was fairly humorous and makes me think her real personality is a bit different from her political one. I have told it here before so I recommend a search if if you are interested.

I ran a search and couldn't find the post you're referencing.