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Men-Only Gay Bar Sparks Massive Outrage As Lesbians Accuse It Of ‘Blatant Misogyny’ After Viral Post
A new Sydney nightclub targeted exclusively at gay men has been forced into rebranding after facing a storm of criticism from lesbian users online.
The venue, originally named Pink Pony, described itself as the “gayest multi-level gay dance space” in the city, but a viral X thread accusing it of exclusion and cultural appropriation has now pushed it to the brink of cancellation before it has even opened.
Highlights
- The "Pink Pony" was meant to be a men-only gay bar named after a Chappel Roan song
- The bar was accused of erasing lesbians while appropriating their culture for marketing purposes
- The viral post quickly evolved into an online shaming campaign that pressured the owners to change the name
The controversial post has amassed more than 2.4 million views, launching a debate that shed light on the ever-present tensions between the lesbian and gay communities, who often walk a fine line between including one another and exclusion.
RELATED:
A nightclub exclusively aimed at gay men was forced to change names after being targeted by members of the lesbian community online
Image credits: Unsplash/Raphael Renter
It all began with a furious comment by a user going by Temmie, posted yesterday (October 13), who wrote:
“What do you mean they’re opening a gay club that is for gay men only!? And they’ve named it after a Chappell Roan song!”
The post quickly went viral, setting off an avalanche of responses accusing the owners of the soon-to-open Pink Pony of excluding lesbians and appropriating symbols from their culture.
Image credits: TRG
As Temmie continued posting, she accused the bar’s official account of “blocking anyone who calls them out,” and shared the venue’s Instagram page, launching what soon became an online shaming campaign.
Image credits: goodwitchlor
Within hours, her thread evolved into what some saw as targeted harassment, with users tagging the bar’s page, demanding public apologies, and urging followers to boycott the yet-to-open venue.
The replies section was filled with accusations of misogyny and cultural theft, while others began mocking the club’s branding and pressuring its owners to “do better.”
Hours later, Temmie announced:
“THEY’RE CHANGING THE NAME.”
Critics argued the nightclub’s name choice, combined with their target audience, was an example of “lesbian erasure”
Image credits: Instagram/new.name.coming
The Pink Pony was announced as an ambitious Oxford Street project spearheaded by manager Kevin Du-Val, known locally for his long involvement in Sydney’s gay nightlife scene.
According to local media, Du-Val said the bar was set up as a space “unashamedly targeted” toward gay men aged 18 to 35.
Nevertheless, he clarified that “of course the girls will be welcome, but it would certainly be our desire that it predominantly be gay boys.”
Image credits: TRG
That phrasing, combined with the decision to name the venue after a Chappell Roan song, was enough to ignite outrage. Critics accused the business of erasing queer women while profiting from lesbian culture.
“Naming this after a lesbian anthem then catering it to gay men only is crazy,” a user wrote.
“What is it going to take for people in this scene to listen to and respect the opinions of queer women?” another added.
The post’s creator accused gay men of regularly “invading” lesbian-only spaces
Image credits: Instagram/gaysydneynews
The backlash highlighted a long-standing friction within the LGBTQ+ community, specifically between gay men and lesbian women.
Temmie, the author of the viral post, argued that the problem ran deeper than just one bar’s marketing choices.
Image credits: Instagram/new.name.coming
“There are currently no lesbian clubs in Sydney,” she wrote, adding that “the very few nights we have are overrun by men, both straight and gay. Discrimination laws mean we can’t kick them out either.”
In other words, critics argued the Pink Pony’s eventual opening reflected a deeper imbalance in queer spaces, where male-centric venues continue to thrive while lesbian or mixed spaces struggle to survive.
Image credits: Instagram/heapsgay
“Talking openly about a ‘preferred clientele’ being male in 2025 is crazy when you’ve named your club after a song by a lesbian,” drag artist Etcetera argued. “Business owners should invest in spaces that make us all feel safe and welcome.”
While the bar defended their right to aim their business at a specific audience, they nevertheless announced a name change
Image credits: Google/TWO 3 ONE
In response to the backlash, Pink Pony’s parent company, Tuloch Pty Ltd, issued a statement defending the bar’s vision.
CEO Michael Lewis said it was “disappointing” to see the outrage spiral online:
“From our perspective, a business having a target demographic is not particularly remarkable or newsworthy, but clearly we have unintentionally hit a raw nerve.”
Image credits: maverickaveril
Image credits: Unsplash/Fellipe Ditadi
Lewis added that while the company understood frustrations over the lack of inclusive venues, “the hate and vitriol being directed towards a small business trying to make a difference for their chosen market is a bit over the top.”
He insisted that the response to Pink Pony had been “overwhelmingly positive.”
Image credits: kremideus
Image credits: Instagram/etceteraetcetera
However, reality told a different story: within 48 hours of the uproar, the venue’s Instagram handle quietly changed to @new.name.coming, signaling a full rebrand.
The retraction was particularly striking given how proudly the team had initially justified their name choice.
Their first announcement read:
“Hey Boys, we are so excited by the amazing reaction to news of PINK PONY’s upcoming launch. It’s unashamedly inspired by its namesake song that resonates so profoundly within our community.”
Now, that post has vanished. The “gayest dance space” in Sydney is back to square one, struggling to find a name that can survive the culture war it inadvertently triggered.
Netizens kept debating online, with one side criticizing the bar and the other defending it
Image credits: lorieagathaera
Image credits: goodwitchlor
Image credits: kremideus
Image credits: pinkponyalina
Image credits: JSJdarling
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What do you think ?
Bored Retsuko 1 month ago
Weirdest thing I've read in a while. Most lesbians are actually very much in favour of bringing back gay only and lesbian only bars and events the way they used to exist. Exactly because the lesbian ones have been erased for the sake of inclusivity and commercialism.
Mel in Georgia 1 month ago
I want a 50+ women-only club where we can dance to the oldies and not worry about men hitting on us! (I'm serious - I would love that!)
ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago (edited)
Which you absolutely should have! Unfortunately many who want what you want think they’ve found it by co-opting gay spaces. Where they’re “safe” since all the men are gay and will leave them alone.Gay spaces are inundated with this worldwide. And as far as “safe” goes, I’ve been groped hundreds if not thousands of times by these straight women in gay spaces. Why they think queer men and women in queer spaces don’t deserve body autonomy is beyond me, but it is a serious issue and concern within the Queer community and in Queer or gay/lesbian or gay bars and clubs.
Load More Replies...
ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago (edited)
As a gay man who was sneaking into a lesbian club (Cafe San Marcos, Castro, San Francisco; now a “bridge & tunnel” nightclub) at 15, let me briefly share my experiences & the need for gay men only spaces. It’s needed as much as women only spaces. By age 21, there were only 2 lesbian bars in SF. One very low-key & you could feel the glares entering as a (gay) man. Fair enough! They’ve no spaces of their own. Meanwhile, there were a good 30 queer spaces welcome to all. Yet still hyper-focused on stereotypical gay men themes. Any bar or club billed as “gay” became overwhelmed by the cis-het women fetishizing/ accessorizing gay men & their co-opting of queer culture & spaces. There are more straight hen do/bachelorette girls in queer spaces than actual lesbians. Gay men have never been good at holding space for gay women, it’s the co-opting of queer spaces by straights that is the real issue. There IS effort to make queer spaces inclusive for queers. How to do it is the issue.
ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago
How to make bars/clubs for queers not overwhelmed with giddy, messy drunk bridal parties? Was recently at a club in Koln. Had a famous cruisy darkroom downstairs. Not being used by the gay men. They were forced out by the straight hen do women loudly treating the space as a novelty. As they tend to do with all gay spaces. It’s ok for lesbian only spaces. It’s ok for queer spaces to want a queer clientele. It’s ok for gay men spaces. Sometimes this is what it takes to have a safe space when that of the world is straight-safe. Clearly, this place shouldn’t been named as it was and it should have billed itself as a gay male space. My take may be controversial, but then so is my take that there’s nothing wrong with a decade-long drag club called Trannyshack (wiki it)! Long Live Heklina!!
Load More Replies... Bored Retsuko 1 month ago
Weirdest thing I've read in a while. Most lesbians are actually very much in favour of bringing back gay only and lesbian only bars and events the way they used to exist. Exactly because the lesbian ones have been erased for the sake of inclusivity and commercialism.
Mel in Georgia 1 month ago
I want a 50+ women-only club where we can dance to the oldies and not worry about men hitting on us! (I'm serious - I would love that!)
ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago (edited)
Which you absolutely should have! Unfortunately many who want what you want think they’ve found it by co-opting gay spaces. Where they’re “safe” since all the men are gay and will leave them alone.Gay spaces are inundated with this worldwide. And as far as “safe” goes, I’ve been groped hundreds if not thousands of times by these straight women in gay spaces. Why they think queer men and women in queer spaces don’t deserve body autonomy is beyond me, but it is a serious issue and concern within the Queer community and in Queer or gay/lesbian or gay bars and clubs.
Load More Replies... ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago (edited)
As a gay man who was sneaking into a lesbian club (Cafe San Marcos, Castro, San Francisco; now a “bridge & tunnel” nightclub) at 15, let me briefly share my experiences & the need for gay men only spaces. It’s needed as much as women only spaces. By age 21, there were only 2 lesbian bars in SF. One very low-key & you could feel the glares entering as a (gay) man. Fair enough! They’ve no spaces of their own. Meanwhile, there were a good 30 queer spaces welcome to all. Yet still hyper-focused on stereotypical gay men themes. Any bar or club billed as “gay” became overwhelmed by the cis-het women fetishizing/ accessorizing gay men & their co-opting of queer culture & spaces. There are more straight hen do/bachelorette girls in queer spaces than actual lesbians. Gay men have never been good at holding space for gay women, it’s the co-opting of queer spaces by straights that is the real issue. There IS effort to make queer spaces inclusive for queers. How to do it is the issue.
ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago
How to make bars/clubs for queers not overwhelmed with giddy, messy drunk bridal parties? Was recently at a club in Koln. Had a famous cruisy darkroom downstairs. Not being used by the gay men. They were forced out by the straight hen do women loudly treating the space as a novelty. As they tend to do with all gay spaces. It’s ok for lesbian only spaces. It’s ok for queer spaces to want a queer clientele. It’s ok for gay men spaces. Sometimes this is what it takes to have a safe space when that of the world is straight-safe. Clearly, this place shouldn’t been named as it was and it should have billed itself as a gay male space. My take may be controversial, but then so is my take that there’s nothing wrong with a decade-long drag club called Trannyshack (wiki it)! Long Live Heklina!!
Load More Replies... You May Like “Disgusting”: Fans Brutally Slam Joey Swoll For Controversial Take On Trans Gym Locker Room Fight "I'm Born Female": Bearded Trans Man Forced To Explain Himself After Woman Confronts Him 97 Pride Month Quotes From Fabulous LGBTQ+ Activists And Allies
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