By Darrell Smith | The Sacramento Bee
A midtown Sacramento nightclub and mainstay of the city’s LGBTQ community has barred MAGA-associated attire from its premises, saying the ban’s intent is to ensure the club remains a safe space.
Badlands, in the heart of midtown’s Lavender Heights neighborhood, announced the ban on its Instagram page, posting in part that the club is “committed to creating a space where the LGBTQ+ community and our allies feel safe, welcome and respected.”
Badlands owner TJ Bruce in the post said his decision came after a patron who walked into the club donning Make America Great Again attire caused “discomfort among some patrons.”
To many in the LGBTQ community, the attire and the slogan are symbols of bigotry and intolerance at a time when gay, lesbian and transgender rights are under growing attack.
Bruce did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the statement, Bruce said Badlands had contemplated an overarching policy banning all attire that expresses political views but decided instead to implement the more-targeted ban.
“This decision is not about banning political beliefs — it is about ensuring that Badlands remains a space where our community feels comfortable and supported,” the statement from Bruce read.
Badlands’ ban has met with broad support on its Instagram page, with one commenter calling it a “bold statement against any threat to the well-being of the community;” while others supported the bar’s right to impose a ban.
Others responding on social media were concerned that the visit that prompted the clothing ban could prompt protests and lawsuits against LGBTQ-friendly establishments.
Steven Bourasa of Sacramento said he was the man in the red cap who inspired the ban. Bourasa, who is gay, Republican and a supporter of President Donald Trump, has said he was made to feel uncomfortable for donning the garb. Bourasa was with a group of Log Cabin Republicans, the organization of gay and lesbian conservatives, who stopped in at Badlands during this weekend’s CAGOP convention downtown.
It was the first time Bourasa had worn the hat inside the nightclub, he told The Sacramento Bee. He said he anticipated and received some backlash for the MAGA cap — backlash he said is rooted in assumptions about conservatives’ views and attitudes toward the LGBTQ community.
“They are triggered by the red cap. I was not there to have a negative outcome,” Bourasa said. “Conservatives are part of our community as well, but it’s an act of courage to come out as conservative.”
As for Badlands, Bourasa says he has known its owner Bruce for some time. He said he has no quarrel with the club and will abide by its new policy whenever he returns.
“I’m not angry with Badlands. I am disappointed with the decision, but if I go back, I’ll follow the rule,” Bourasa said.
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