Sudden Shutdown
Gay promoters left without a venue after RnR closes
Some gay and lesbian event promoters say they are outraged by the abrupt closure of RnR Bar & Lounge, at 717 Sixth St. NW, on Monday, July 28. The promoters of the club’s weekly Friday through Sunday gay and lesbian events say they found out on Saturday, just two days before the three-story, generally straight venue closed its doors.
”They sold the venue with no notice,” says Karen Diehl, who since November has been promoting ”Lure,” a women’s dance party held at RnR on Saturday nights. Diehl has been promoting the event with her business partner, Melissa May, since it kicked off last November.
”I think I can speak for all of us when I say we’re extremely hurt and outraged at the fact that we’ve been bringing them business for so long and, to put it lightly, we were put on a doorstep,” says Diehl.
The other gay- and lesbian-themed events that were held at the venue included a women’s event on Friday nights and a gay hip-hop party on Sundays called ”SugaFree Sundays,” which is scheduled to resume at H2O Restaurant & Lounge, 800 Water St. SW, beginning Aug. 10.
Diehl says she’s hoping to resume Lure at another venue in the near future.
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