The Pride Center of Vermont will host a town hall meeting on trans issues Thursday in response to a deepening controversy over the name of a gay bar planned for Winooski.
The proposed name, Mister Sister, generated a raft of critical comments over the weekend from people on Facebook who said the name is a slur for trans women.
The debate opened a rift in the LGBTQ community partly because the owner of the proposed bar, Craig McGaughan, is a gay man who has so far refused to change the planned name or meet with the leader of the Pride Center.
McGaughan announced Friday on Facebook that he would close his wine bar at 45 Main Street, Oak45, on Tuesday and would then reopen soon as the area’s only gay bar. Burlington’s 135 Pearl closed in 2006.
“The LGBT community in Vermont has been missing a place to call our own and through luck, a lot of support and hard work, we have the space to offer that,” McGaughan wrote. All would be welcome, but he emphasized: “I also hope those in the LGBT community feel welcome and safe and will find a sense of camaraderie at the new bar.”
Initially, Oak45 regulars responded to the post with enthusiasm.
But as word of the name spread, the happy glow faded. Heated posts ensued and people from around New England waded in with comments. McGaughan took some posts down, which upset people further.
Aedan Buchanan, a Burlington resident who identifies as a trans male, won’t be going to Mister Sister if it opens with that name.
“If you want to claim that your bar is inclusive to every member of the LGBTQ community, but you want to ignore the voices of the ‘T’ in that acronym, that’s not inclusivity,” Buchanan said.
The name is an act of “verbal violence” that was used to belittle trans women, Buchanan said.
His partner, Aspen Kobetitsch, will also boycott the bar if it opens as Mister Sister.
“I think the name is ridiculous and exclusionary,” said Kobetitsch, who identifies as a nonbinary trans person and prefers to be identified with the pronouns they and them.
Some slurs get reclaimed — including queer, which once was widely viewed as an insulting way to refer to gay people but is now embraced by many gay rights groups. “I’m aware that language is constantly evolving and things can mean new things,” Kobetitsch said.
But the people being marginalized by a term should reclaim it, and in the case of Mister Sister, that would be trans women and not a gay man such as McGaughan, according to Kobetitsch. “It’s not his place.”
McGaughan could not be reached for comment.
Over the weekend, Josie Leavitt, interim executive director of the Pride Center, asked McGaughan if he would meet with her. He declined, she said.
“Craig and I had some Facebook messages over the weekend that were very civil, and we each expressed our point of view, and I said I would love to meet with you, and he said no,” Leavitt told Seven Days.
The name controversy came as President Donald Trump revoked federal guidance under Title IX intended to give transgender students the right to use restrooms that correspond with their gender identity.
It’s a tense time for the community, said Leavitt.
She had not found a location for the town hall as of Monday night but expected to have a site lined up and announced Tuesday morning. There are two goals, she said: “Where do we need to do a better job as the Pride Center in supporting the trans community. And the secondary issue is going to be how do we address the bar issue.”
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It’s unfortunate that this establishment has created such a divide in the community. On a positive note, Buffalo Wild Wings is happy to provide quality service to all members of the LGBTQ+ community and affirms peoples pronouns as a company policy.
Oh you poor precious injured people . The pain , terrible debilitating pain you have suffered over this grievous vicious and unprecedented attack on both your mental and physical well being is unbearable . Just the thought of it has made me go to bed without dinner .
Gay bar
Voices were heard, with a great turn out ,and the lgbt community will not support the gay,
Rex, I think you’re mistaking contempt for anger. You and your cohorts have taken a very, very petty complaint and blown it up into a big, public issue with the intention of bullying a business owner who means no harm into doing what you want. Your intention is to force him into buying into your manufactured hysteria or, in the event that he wont knuckle under, to hurt hurt his business and to try and paint him as some sort of anti trans monster. You and your cohorts have manufactured an issue to try and do harm to someone else.That is worthy of contempt.
Roy, you’ve shared a good deal of anger and dismissiveness here. FYI, the trans community has not “insinuated” itself into the movement. It has been central to the movement from the movement’s inception. Trans people (Slyvia Rivera, Virginia Prince, and countless others) have fought, bled, and certainly died along with gays and lesbians all along the way–even as they have been simultaneously dismissed and ignored by others outside and inside the movement.
Well thanks for the suggestion but I’ll pass. I’d just as soon go clean out some sewer pipes. The “opportunity” to listen to a group of petty, thin skinned “activists” express their manufactured outrage isn’t all that interesting. We’ve heard it all before from this fringe of the trans community. I actually doubt a “strong” message will be sent out at your little meeting because most people are tired of the whining and just don’t care any more. Have your meeting and voice your concerns but don’t expect many to hear because most have stopped listening.
I suggest you attend the meeting a voice your concerns, however, I will voice my concerns along with many others,and a voice heard ,will make a difference, as a long time member and supporter of the lgbt movement for over 30yrs ,I’m very familiar with civil rights, and a strong message will be sent out tonite,and voices will be heard.