District DTLA, one of downtown Los Angeles’ most prominent queer bars, announced Friday it was facing a serious financial crisis brought on by what is described as a drainage law fight against former employees. In a statement shared via Instagram, Barr warned supporters that “several late weekends” could be forced to shut down.
In that public post, the precinct cited the history of challenges that have affected its operations in recent years, including the closure of Covid-19, ice attacks and city-wide curfews. However, it characterized the current situation as “even more devastating.”
The statement claims that the lawsuit has named the business, its owner and members of the management team and distinguished it from former employees based on her status as a heterosexual cisgender woman. The lawsuit also reportedly alleges that the venue discriminates against white employees. The precinct strongly denied these allegations and called them “completely false.”
The additional messages posted with Instagram stories came from the former manager’s personal account and were identified as Adrian, who stated that the plaintiff had personal knowledge. “This person was worshiped and protected by everyone on the staff, including the management team. She was a family. She wasn’t targeting being straight.
Barr also raised concerns about the lawyer representing the plaintiff, saying that an individual who previously worked with him allegedly used anti-LGBTQ slur in emails while he was in his previous company. The post characterized the lawyer as having a “clear anti-LGBTQ agenda.”
netflix has been sued by a former employee for alleged discrimination and retaliation
Refusing to disclose details of the lawsuit, the precincts highlighted the sacrifices the incident took. “The legal battle is draining us emotionally and financially,” the statement read. “And we can’t do it on our own.”
In a statement provided to KTLA, Jeremy Lucid, general manager of the precinct, said financial tensions began well before the lawsuit. “What I can say is that financial difficulties began well before this incident,” Lucid said. “Nightlife has been hit hard all over the place, and I feel that queer space in particular is increasingly at risk.”
He pointed to the curfew that was enacted during local ice-related protests as a particularly volatile moment. “This week we enforced a curfew in an ice protest in the precincts, revealing how vulnerable we are. Unfortunately, no compensation or relief was provided to small businesses affected by the disruption.”
“All we want is for the community to appear,” Lucid added. “These spaces exist because we gather around them, so we come in, have a drink, enjoy chicken bids, and help to ensure that we have a precinct and other strange, safe spaces like that.
Initially, the venue stopped seeking direct financial donations, urging community members instead to support the bar through attendance by visiting, buying drinks and food and chipping staff. Prectince also hosts a variety of community events, including theme parties, drug branches and other odd nightlife programming. Supporters can make even more contributions by purchasing products from the bar.
“We don’t want charity, we want solidarity,” the post said.
An update to the original message confirmed that the GoFundMe campaign was later launched in response to repeated community requests.
Founded as a space to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles, DTLA in the precinct has long been a central role in the city’s odd nightlife scene. In that statement, Bar strengthened its identity and described himself not only as a venue, but as a “hub of strange communities.”
“Your presence is important. Your support is important,” the statement concluded. “Let’s get together and protect this space. For all of us.”
