A wine bar in Winooski, Vermont has closed to remodel and reopen as a gay bar. But there has been an outburst of controversy over its planned new name, which some say has historically been a slur against transgender women.
Oak45 in the center of Winooski will reopen on March 10 as Mister Sister. Critics flooded the bar’s Facebook page demanding the name be changed.
Two board members of the Pride Center of Vermont resigned because they say the name alienates the LGTBQ community and wanted the center to take a stance. But the Center says it will not take a position and is disappointed that two members have left the organization.
Interim Executive Director Josie Leavitt says at first people were thrilled there would be a gay bar in the community, and then anger and disappointment that a pejorative term would be used for its name. “People had some very, very strong opinions about that, obviously and it has spilled over into the larger community and there were some very unpleasant Facebook posts on both sides over the weekend that have subsequently been taken down. But it has definitely been a maelstrom in the community for sure.”
While the phrase has appeared on a television comedy, Leavitt explains that Mister Sister has historically negative connotations. “It pops up on tv, but years and years and years before that it has been used as a way to denigrate transgender women. It’s almost equal to saying are you a she-male? It’s that offensive. And often what happens is when there is hate speech it can often be followed by violence. And transgender women are the most vulnerable part of our community and they are sadly the ones who have the highest murder rates. So it is a trigger for transgender people and gender non-conforming people. But it’s also a phrase that is used with great affection and no ill will with gay men and drag queens. So that’s part of what’s happening. There’s a disconnect for parts of the community around this.”
In September 2015, Vermont Electric Cooperative’s CEO went public with her transgender story. After a lifetime of living as a man, Christine Hallquist transitioned to a woman. She has been following the controversy over the name of the bar and thinks there needs to be more tolerance on all sides. “It’s not that I would downplay some of those folks’ response to it. It’s just I think they can vote with their feet. You know if the bar opens with the name Mister Sister I plan on attending and patronizing the bar. But I don’t think the owner should be harassed and I really think it’s up to the owner to make their decisions.”
The Pride Center of Vermont plans to hold a town hall Thursday evening to further discuss the controversy. Hallquist believes that’s an excellent strategy. “The town hall’s actually a perfect place for people to vent their feelings and thoughts. But I would not want to see people force the Pride Center into taking a position that ultimately might divide the community.”
Calls to the bar owner and the Pride Center board members who resigned were not returned in time for broadcast.
