London, Ont., bar in hot water after making drag shows age 19+ events

A London, Ont., bar known as the city's only gay nightclub is facing backlash from across North America after cancelling an all-ages Western University event because it was set to feature drag performers. 

Lavish was booked to host an annual Western student Pride dance on Thursday, but pulled out after learning drag queens would be performing. It has caused an uproar in London's LGBTQ2+ community and beyond, with the bar getting what it calls hate comments. 

"We're not asking them to open all drag shows to all ages, because that would be inappropriate, but I don't think they should restrict all drag shows to 19 plus," said Michael Brain, who performs as drag queen Woozy Dazey.

Brain wasn't directly involved with Western's Pride event, but has some drag queen friends who were supposed to perform.

Josephine Davey-Young, the co-ordinator for Western PrideUSC, the University Students' Council's advocacy and support service for LGBTQ2+ students, responded to CBC London's request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

"The USC believes in gender and sexuality expression for all ages, and we proudly support drag shows, including with our own student drag performers, all year long," Davey-Young said.

"We're disappointed in Lavish's decision to not allow drag at an all-ages event, but we understand that our goals for Pride Ball did not match Lavish management's policies." 

Bar manager John Banks said they backed out of the event because Lavish doesn't want to put underage students into situations "where something sexual or inappropriate could happen."    

"We don't want to put a minor in a spot they don't want to be in. There could be a lot of dangerous situations at an all-ages event when there is older drag or young drag and someone who is 17 years old doesn't want to be exposed to that." 

Any event at Lavish that has a performer — whether they're hip hop, ballet or drag queens — will be an age 19-plus event, Banks added.

"This was booked as a DJ and dancing. We weren't told there would be drag queens. If it's any sort of performance bringing people in, then it's a 19-plus event," he said.

The bar gave the students running the event a full refund.  

But the cancellation and policy change have set off backlash from people accusing Lavish of being transphobic and not a safe space for the LGBTQ2+ community. Many say limits on drag performances in the United States are ramping up the emotions around Lavish's stance. 

"I am appalled at Lavish for taking this stance. What about queer kids who need to see that they have a place in the world? What about protecting them," wrote one person on Instagram. 

"Drag is not inherently sexual. No performance is inherently sexual unless it is intended to be so," said another Instagram post. 

As a business, Banks said, he knows he "can't please everybody."

"If you're not going to support us, that's fine. We're not going to beg people to come in if they don't like our policies and procedures." 

Lavish used to bill itself as the city's "LGBT2Q+ community space in the heart of beautiful downtown London," but Banks said he wouldn't describe it that way now. 

LISTEN | London Morning's Rebecca Zandbergen speaks to Woozy Dazey on a U.S. state's restriction on drag shows: 

After Tennessee passed legislation restricting drag shows in public spaces, some feel the precedent will find footing in Canada. Local drag queen Michael Brain, who performs as Woozy Dazey tells London Morning how things are playing out in venues on this side of the border.

"We are a safe space for everybody — it doesn't matter if you're gay or straight," Banks said. "We're not a gay bar. We're a nightclub that also caters to the gay community." 

Lavish changed owners about two years ago. It promptly tried to get a licence as an adult entertainment venue so it could show "unique performances that will target the LGBTQ community," former owner Zoltan Harasty said at the time. 

The adult entertainment licence was denied and new owners have since taken over. 

PrideUSC told CBC they've regrouped to work at hosting their Pride event on campus in the next couple of weeks.