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A popular venue on Sydney’s ‘queer fringe’ has come under fire after a trans woman and drag queen were told they weren’t allowed to use the women’s toilets.
The two incidents involving the same security guard occurred at Noir on Oxford St, Darlinghurst, an inner-city suburb popular with the LGBTQ+ community, on January 30.
Both incidents have been widely shared online with comments calling the bar “disgusting” and “pathetic” and several people calling for it to be closed.
However, Noir’s general manager, Lance Alaalatoa, said both incidents were a misunderstanding, as the security guard involved worked his first night.
Alaalatoa said the first incident occurred when a drag queen and a gay man tried to enter the women’s bathroom.
He said the couple was walking up a flight of stairs that led directly to the bathroom, so the security guard intervened to prevent the man from entering.
However, an altercation ensued where the man was pushed and fell to the ground after refusing to follow the guard’s instructions.
Noir (above), a popular bar in Sydney, has said that claims that a security guard intentionally blocked a trans woman and a drag queen from the women’s toilets was a misunderstanding.
Alaalatoa said the drag queen regularly frequents the club and claimed that both she and the man involved remained at Noir that night once the dispute was resolved.
“This is a third or fourth party that has come forward with these accusations that we are homophobic,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It’s the security guard’s first job, he’s just trying to do the right thing.
Now he is terrified to leave his house, he is having a massive mental breakdown from this. It’s not fair to him.
The second clash of the night came when the security guard told a transgender woman that he was a man and told her to get out of the women’s bathroom. Sydney Gay News informed.
Alaalatoa said that the woman is DJ de Noir, but she usually presents herself as more masculine, which confused the guard.
“She’s one of my friends, I hired her,” she said.
“She doesn’t want this to go any further because she understands the kid…he’s only 19 and they don’t train security guards on how to handle these situations.
Sydney-based drag queen Pomara Fifth (above) called the venue’s actions “pathetic” and told workers to “do better”.
“She was upset, but she put it behind her and will continue to play for us for the next two weeks.
“All this has happened at our level, it’s other people who are joining in and making these accusations that are making the situation worse.”
Alaalatoa said Noir specifically works to hire a diverse range of staff, including people from the queer community, and the comments criticizing the bar were hurtful.
“I have a long-standing relationship with the queer community,” he said.
“The people making these accusations are not the people involved in the incidents.”
Noir’s co-owner, Ronny Dubé (above), apologized for the incidents and said the security guard had been furloughed.
Alaalatoa also denies separate allegations that two gay men who were kissing at the bar were told to leave.
“That never happened,” he said.
‘Nobody has spoken about it. That accusation, honestly, has just been fabricated.
“If someone came forward I’d be more than happy to discuss it with them, but no one did, I was driving that night.”
The 19-year-old security guard involved in the January 30 incidents has faced harsh criticism online.
“For me, the most important thing is that this child is mortified,” Alaalatoa said.
‘This poor kid, you know he’s being bullied. It’s not fair to him.
“It’s his first job, his first time on Oxford St, and he’s being crucified to the point where it’s really taking a toll on his mental health.”
Noir’s co-owner Ronny Dubé issued an apology to Gay Sydney News, saying: “Noir’s management have a long-standing relationship with one of the people involved.”
“We will be working together on a paid basis during Pride in Noir month.”
Sydney drag queen Diva Attenbra (pictured above) said the venue should ‘pack’ from Oxford St
Dubé added that the security guard involved in both incidents was from a subcontracted agency and has been suspended from the location.
However, Sydney-based drag queen Pomara Fifth, who appeared on Ru Paul’s Drag Race, criticized the venue, telling her workers to “do better”.
‘Pathetic! Don’t apologize, just do better!’ they wrote in an article about the incidents.
Not on this street, not anywhere! Close it, start over. Thanks for trying, but that’s it!’
Another Sydney drag queen, Diva Attenbra, agreed, saying: “Pack up this place and move it all out, thanks, we don’t need it in our space.”
Another commenter wrote: ‘Disgusting. Not just for a place on Oxford St, but for any place anywhere in 2023.”
Another said: ‘When you’ve been given the privilege of a place in a queer fringe, the least you can do is show some level of respect. It is not so difficult. This is disgusting.