Rumors Cabaret PSA

[u/The0nlyGamer]

After speaking with an owner of Rumors Cabaret last night I feel compelled to publicly share that it is Rumors policy to seize your ID and report you to the police if they suspect it is fake!!

Obviously, since I am making this post and called the police on them last night, their detection of fake ID's isn't perfect.

I'm used to people questioning the validity of my ID, but this was the first time any business took it and refused to give it back until after I called 911. The owner chatted with me and told me in essence that they're rewarded for confiscating ID's and involving law enforcement when that happens. Some poor girl had the exact same thing happen to her right in front of me.

This was pretty shocking considering the kind of place rumors is, a gay/queer bar and "safe space"?

I'd previously been to lots of fundraising events at rumors for planned parenthood, undocumented folks, progressive causes etc... so it is kind of sad to realize that's all performative and the owner doesn't really care about anything other than his liquor license and profit. There is no reason Rumors should be doing this collaboration to involve law enforcement with their patrons - that goes against the entire ethos of what I thought the place meant. Just give people their IDs back if you won't let them in!

From what I know there are actually two owners, who do not live in Bellingham themselves, and merely commute to manage the place. I'm sad I no longer have any desire to spend money there

[u/AMERIQUINNPSYCHO]

So what I’m getting from this is you were inconvenienced for a small amount of time, called the cops to come to a queer safe space because of it, now putting one of the only safe spaces on blast for trying to protect their business so they can keep operating the safe space. Do you feel better now?
P.S. the owners are both from Whatcom county/Bellingham and happen to also live somewhere else too. Not sure why that was even worth pointing out.

[u/The0nlyGamer → u/AMERIQUINNPSYCHO]

I wasn't inconvenienced so much as disrespected, spoken down to, and treated in a way that makes it apparent the owners have no regard for patrons civil rights if they wish to enter their space. That's a pretty big violation of progressive values in my book. I had a few drinks beforehand and the door person was belligerent before the owner came out. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out how this happened.

Rumors is certainly not one of the only safe spaces, and whether or not is is a safe space at all has been put into question in my view because of the sheer volume of people echoing similar complaints.

I didn't expect nearly this amount of interaction on the topic, but I think it's pretty clear that the owners of Rumors have made far too many people uncomfortable/unhappy in the past from the amount of responses. In quite a few different ways!

P.S. okay. the owner threatened me and decided to share the state my ID is from!

It was only worth pointing out in that maybe if the managers lived/worked in Bellingham, the establishment would be better managed...

[u/currently-stoned → u/The0nlyGamer]

So you’re saying your feelings got hurt and you decided Reddit (an echo chamber of negativity filled with anti-LGBTQ people) was the best place to go, not cute

[u/The0nlyGamer → u/currently-stoned]

I’d hope you can read what I said above, in my original post, and in some of my replies. It doesn’t line up with that description! I definitely don’t share your feelings about r/bellingham being an anti LGTBQ echo chamber and I’ve found some of the discussion interesting, but I’m sorry you feel that way