Irish LGBTQ+ bar removes Pride flags and cancels drag performances as performer accuses club of trying to ‘accommodate university students’ for Freshers week

• Chambers Bar in Cork removed Pride flags and cancelled drag performances
• Read More: US’s LGBTQ civil rights organisation declares ‘state of emergency’ 

An Irish LGBTQ+ bar has removed all Pride flags and cancelled drag performances to accommodate university students during Freshers week.

Chambers Bar, in Cork, Ireland, has been a firm favourite with the LGBTQI+ community for the past 18 years. 

But the city’s only remaining gay bar abruptly rebranded and changed its name to Sinners, prompting regulars and drag queen performers to call for a boycott.

The rebrand was introduced for University College Cork Freshers’ Week, when students return to University College Cork, and many suspect the bar is trying to maximise its profits by appealing to a wider population of ‘straight’ customers. 

According to drag performer Krystal Queer, when she went to Chambers to perform her weekly show, she was shocked to discover all of the Pride flags and posters had been removed. 

Chambers Bar, in Cork, Ireland, allegedly removed Pride flags and cancelled drag performances to accommodate university students during Freshers week

The Chambers slogan, ‘loves every heartbeat’ was also painted over, and ‘The queer aesthetic for the venue had been completely eradicated,’ she said.

Krystal took to Instagram to share the news with her followers, in a video which racked up over 300,000 views.

She said: ‘My main source of income had been slashed in the blink of an eye with no compassion and no notice.

‘I found Reardens group to be blatantly homophobic, from overhearing their team use homophobic and transphobic language all the time, their banter that just has the queens and the staff of Chambers at the butt of every joke and their overall disdain and neglect for the wellbeing of Chambers.

‘Reardens group wanted to mask the fact that Chambers was a gay bar in order to draw in more customers.’

In collective Instagram post, several of the club’s regular drag performers said that they would no longer be associating with the bar. 

In collective Instagram post, several of the club’s regular drag performers said that they would no longer be associating with the bar

Krystal took to Instagram to share the news with her followers, in a video which racked up over 300,000 views

It read: ‘Hi Everyone, so it’s about time we the Queen of of our community address the issues that have faced us all this week. 

‘As you all know we have enjoyed performing in a venue in the heart of Cork city for many years.

‘Changes have been made this week that we are all not comfortable with. We were not made aware in advance of these changes to accommodate the coming ‘freshers’ week.

The removal of all traces of your beloved LGBTQIA+ safe space is simply appalling and we refuse to accept this.

‘So it is with great thought that we the Queens will no longer be performing in our former ‘safe space’.

‘In these troubling times for our community it is now more important than ever that we, the LGBTQIA+ community stand together for all. Love Letycha, Mia, Liam, Cynthia, Kia, Krystal, Toxic and Pretty. Until the next night in the new space xxxxx’ 

Cork Pride also released a statement condemning the move, writing in a Facebook post on Wednesday that it was ‘concerned and regrettably unsurprised’ by the club’s decision.

It read: ‘We find ourselves both concerned and regrettably unsurprised by the recent events that unfolded at Chambers this week. 

‘The LGBT+ community and our local drag artists in Cork unquestionably deserve better. Chambers, a commercial establishment not owned or operated by members of our community, seems to display a disheartening indifference towards our cherished community.

Cork Pride also released a statement condemning the move, writing in a Facebook post on Wednesday that it was ‘concerned and regrettably unsurprised’ by the club’s decision

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Cork city centre on Thursday night to peacefully protest

‘Chambers has consistently profited from our LGBT+ community throughout the years, with particular emphasis during Cork Pride; it’s worth noting that their support for Cork Pride ceased after 2019. 

‘Just a little over a month following the Cork Pride festival, they have chosen to completely erase any semblance of being an LGBT+ focused venue. This decision blatantly disregards the talented Queens who grace their stage and the LGBT+ community they target for their business.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome of this situation, it is essential for our community to recognize and support venues that genuinely stand with us, rather than commodifying our identities when convenient, only to cast us aside when it doesn’t serve their interests. 

‘Today, and every day, we stand in unwavering solidarity with members of our beloved LGBT+ community along with Letycha, Mia, Liam, Cynthia, Kia, Krystal, Toxic, and Pretty.’  

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Cork city centre on Thursday night to peacefully protest.

Many held placards and chanted: ‘We’re here to stay, you can’t paint the gay away.’   

Chambers is run by Rearden’s group which operates other venues including The Secret Garden, The Hidden Attic, The Cabaret and Rearden’s Bar. 

MailOnline contacted to Chambers for comment, but did not receive a reply at the time of writing. Chambers has yet to release an official statement. 

However management at the venue told local radio station Red FM that ‘Sinners’ student nights were introduced at Chambers a few years ago.

According to breakingnews.ie, a spokesperson said: ‘As has been the case since 2016, we’ve hosted student nights at ‘Sinners’ for all students during the third-level terms.

‘So just in case anyone is worried, nothing has changed, and Chambers will be as it has been every weekend, since the day we opened our doors 18 years ago.’

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