July 10, 2014
Entertainment 5
The
own
Reynolds
kly sales “It’s just e, and the ’s been goor years. ... here?”
nt ned The first LGBT-
Singer-songwriter Stephen Powell, New Albany, performs during an open mic night at The Warehouse in downtown New Albany. STAFF PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER FRYER
friendly establishment, they didn’t just make a business decision, said New Albany resident Larry Summers. They made history. Summers, a gay man and the vice president of the gay rights group Indiana Equality Action, grew up in New Albany. He never thought he’d see the day when gay people would be openly accepted in his hometown. “It’s a new era for LGBT rights in the state of Indiana,” Summers said. “You just had a federal judge say that it’s unconstitutional for our state to discriminate against us, and now to be able to have an establishment that we can call our own and be able to be open with our relationships and not be afraid of public displays of affection with our partner without upsetting the crowd around us. “It’s so much more than just a bar. It’s validity to our lives.” Summers isn’t just a supporter of The Warehouse. He has the distinction of being the first customer to patronize the establishment after it declared itself LGBT friendly. “It made me very excited to know that I’m contributing to a business that believes in not only me and my family, but also the entire cause that I stand for,” he said. stICKIng to Its roots Though The Warehouse may be Southern Indiana’s first LGBT bar, Reynolds said the bar isn’t changing what it is at its core to fit some
Patrons hang out inside The Warehouse in downtown New Albany. STAFF PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER FRYER
kind of stereotype of what a gay bar should be. Instead of a dark space with colored lights and loud house music, The Warehouse is sticking to the warm, well-lit, friendly — and by comparison, quiet — bar it always was. It’s just the clientele that’s different. And that’s a good thing, said regular Brian Easton, 44, New Albany. Easton’s been a regular at The Warehouse for six months, and sometimes its only paying customer on a given day. He’s also straight, but he’s happy to see his favorite bar succeeding with its new business model. “It’s gotten a lot bigger. I’m seeing a lot more people,” Easton said. “When I was first coming here, it was me by myself and that was it. Now I’m seeing a lot more people here. A good dozen, 15 people, and I’m here early. I can only imagine what it’s like later in the evening.” The bar still has open mic nights and acoustic entertainment, and Sunday is karaoke night these days. Friday’s now for burlesque and drag shows, but that’s as far as it goes, Reynolds said. And about half of the bar’s clientele is straight, he said. “At the end of the day, it was about making a place where everybody can feel safe, whether they’re straight or gay,” Reynolds said. “Even though you call yourself an LGBT-friendly bar or a gay bar, that doesn’t mean that you have to be gay to come in. All that means is that gay people feel comfortable there as well.”
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