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Pour House on Boylston Street could be re-born as a queer bar for women and non-binary people

By adamg on Wed, 03/01/2023 - 11:36pm

The Simmons Voice reports that LGBTQ Nightlife Events, which has been running queer nights at local clubs over the last few years, is getting ready to settle down with a permanent home on Boylston Street in the Back Bay - in a town that has mostly seen gay and queer venues disappear over the past decade.

Dani's Queer Bar, which would be Boston's "first queer bar for women and non-binary LGBTQ+ community members who feel like we have no place," lists an address of 907 Boylston St. - the former home of the Pour House - in paperwork on file at the Secretary of State's office.

The Pour House and neighboring bars along that stretch of Boylston closed as the pandemic erupted in 2020.

Landlord Charles Talanian, who was a part owner of the Pour House, purchased its liquor license through its bankruptcy proceedings.

Talanian originally planned to lease the space and the liquor license to a group headed by a former Pour House manager, but that deal fell through.

LGBTQ Nightlife Events co-founder Thais Rocha told the Voice she hopes to open the new bar, which would be the 28th lesbian bar in the US, this month. However, she has yet to appear before the licensing board for permission to either buy Talanian's license or for approval of a management agreement under which he would retain the license, but let her use it. The new license would also need approval of the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.

H/t Annie L.

Neighborhoods: 
Back Bay
Topics: 
Dining
Entertainment
Free tagging: 
Boylston Street

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Comments

By _Sean on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 12:16am.

Noooo. Not Pour House! It's basically the last dive bar in Back Bay.

Please take Lir next door instead.

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Voting closed 41

By Phillip on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 7:41am.

It's been closed for a couple years. Glad it's staying a bar.

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Voting closed 58

By fungwah on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 11:37am.

saying it wouldn't still be a dive, or that people who are not women or non-binary couldn't still go there.

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Voting closed 19

By Don't Panic on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 1:36am.

Damn shame about The Pour House. It was the only place I could order a shot of Jack Daniels with a coffee just cream and not raise an eyebrow. Good luck to Danni's Queer Bar. Are there any coffee houses with a liquor license left in Boston?

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Voting closed 32

By mg on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 1:37am.

Danni's Queer Bar will not be the "first queer bar for women and non-binary LGBTQ+ community members who feel like we have no place" though it may be the first of this era. I have fond memories of going dancing at The Saints back in the 1970s

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Voting closed 41

By deselby on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 9:23am.

around in the 1980s

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Voting closed 14

By tachometer on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 11:58am.

The link says The Saints was straight by day, I assume for the financial district crowd, but changed over at night.

If that's the distinction they could have made it more clear that it's "a space of our own" instead of a shared one. In either case I wish them well.

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Voting closed 5

By heather on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 2:54am.

It's tough to pay rent in the Back Bay and cater to such a specific community. Hopefully there's enough support. Good luck to them!

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Voting closed 18

By lbb on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 9:35am.

Apart from the fact that the community in question may not be as small as you think, I expect this place will attract a fair number of lookie-loos.

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Voting closed 15

By anon on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 8:11am.

I remember an incident of hate against the lesbian community when someone who was never caught firebombed the bar. Not sure if BPD or the FBI even investigated the crime of hate.

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Voting closed 15

By deselby on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 9:28am.

+ Alcohol Beverage Control regulations

Can't be too forthright about who the bar is "for."

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Voting closed 11

By Gary C on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 10:29am.

What's that now?

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Voting closed 7

By adamg on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 10:58am.

They'd only get in trouble if they actually turned away people at the door based on their sexual identity.

But since they haven't even opened yet, there's no proof they've done that and all we're left with at this point is people who, for some reason, object to the idea of a queer-focused establishment.

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Voting closed 37

By mg on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 11:26am.

There's no one checking for queer-cred at the door. I'm straight but used to go to the Saints with LGBTQ+ friends, and always felt welcome.

It's not like there aren't other places focused on certain demographics. I've never heard of a sports bar getting denied for being focused on sports fans, nor do they stop people at the door to make sure they like sports. Clientele tends to be self-selecting.

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Voting closed 26

By dd808 on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 2:09pm.

A gay sports bar would be great... Just like any other sports bar but with better food.

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Voting closed 8

By 02120 on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 2:18pm.

Cathedral Station on Washington St, site of the old Red Fez. Can't speak to whether the food is better.

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Voting closed 15

By joecab on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 6:43pm.

Supposed to be closing to make room for a pot shop

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Voting closed 7

By deselby on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 2:03pm.

If someone is turned away, the advertising statement would be admissible at trial.

Easy to make the thought experiment: Imagine a bar saying "Our mission is to open a straight bar for whites who feel they have no place."

You can think these things are different: legally they have the same import.

MGL 272 s 92A

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter272/Sect...

No owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent or employee of any place of public accommodation, resort or amusement shall, directly or indirectly, by himself or another, publish, issue, circulate, distribute or display, or cause to be published, issued, circulated, distributed or displayed, in any way, any advertisement, circular, folder, book, pamphlet, written or painted or printed notice or sign, of any kind or description, intended to discriminate against or actually discriminating against persons of any religious sect, creed, class, race, color, denomination, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, which shall not include persons whose sexual orientation involves minor children as the sex object, nationality, or because of deafness or blindness, or any physical or mental disability, in the full enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities or privileges offered to the general public by such places of public accommodation, resort or amusement.
. . . . Any person who shall violate any provision of this section, or who shall aid in or incite, cause or bring about, in whole or in part, such a violation shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both.

Note that is a criminal law.

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Voting closed 18

By lbb on Fri, 03/03/2023 - 9:58am.

...because, clearly, there are no bars catering to a straight white clientele, so that explains why you have to get all play-a-lawyer-on-TV about how nobody could possibly be allowed to open a business if they state in their business plan that it caters to a particular community.

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Voting closed 13

By berkleealum on Fri, 03/03/2023 - 9:58am.

n/t

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Voting closed 6

By deselby on Fri, 03/03/2023 - 1:37pm.

"this section shall not apply to a place of exercise for the exclusive use of persons of the same sex which is a bona fide fitness facility established for the sole purpose of promoting and maintaining physical and mental health through physical exercise and instruction, if such facility does not receive funds from a government source, nor to any corporation or entity authorized, created or chartered by federal law for the express purpose of promoting the health, social, educational vocational, and character development of a single sex; provided, further, that with regard to the prohibition of sex discrimination, those establishments which rent rooms on a temporary or permanent basis for the exclusive use of persons of the same sex shall not be considered places of public accommodation and shall not apply to any other part of such an establishment. "

272 92A

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Voting closed 7

By brianjdamico on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 12:07pm.

That's not what is going on here and you know it.

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Voting closed 20

By Friartuck on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 1:08pm.

Given the epidemic of community watering hole closures everywhere these past many years.

It does seem to be some expensive real estate, pulling in necessary foot traffic will be a challenge.

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Voting closed 10