Patrons at gay bars refuse to be intimidated by hate
Patrons at Chill Bar in Palm Springs are doing what they normally do on a Monday evening: enjoying a drink and passing the time with friends.
At the same time the topic of discussion is the shooting that killed 49 people at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando.
“I am worried about terrorists. I am worried about hate crimes. What happened on Sunday is a combination of the two,” said Frank Freeman who was enjoying a drink on the patio at Chill Bar.
The general manager of Chill Bar Ron Bowdoin says he’s worked at gay clubs in both Florida and California and he says they are typically set up very differently.
“Clubs in Florida had no windows and for example, the club I worked in only had one door in the front and one hidden exit out of the kitchen which customers wouldn’t be able to find. I was looking at the news about Pulse and it seemed like a very familiar setup,” said Bowdoin.
Many of the the gay bars on Arenas Road in Palm Springs have open layouts. There are plenty of doors to the outside, and many of them are set up with with alarms for emergencies. Security cameras cover many of the businesses inside and out, and there are regular patrols by the Palm Springs Police Department.
Some patrons at gay bars refuse to be intimidated by the intentions of a hateful few.
“Rather than feel safe I would rather not feel fear,” said Linda Quigley inside Hunter’s Nightclub. “I think I push that away and say that I am going on with my life and I am not going to let fear rule what I do and how I choose to celebrate or not celebrate.”
“You can’t let people who don’t like you tell you how to live your life,” said Brandon Holland at Chill Bar. “I’m 64 years old. I did that for years living in the South and I refuse to do that anymore.”
Hate crimes have happened in the Palm Springs area before, most notably resulting in the death of LGBT activist George Zander. Many people told KESQ that no mater how comfortable they feel in a desert that is so welcoming they always will keep their guard up and remain vigilant.
