Bouncer fired after refusing to let drag queen into venue
The bouncer said the drag queen didn't fit the male dress code
By Steve Brown
A bouncer has been fired after he refused to let a drag queen into the venue because she was not wearing trousers.
Nova Hudson was dressed in drag along with two of her friends, when one of them, Jessica Christ, was denied entry into the Newcastle venue, Finnegan’s Hotel, because she didn’t “fit the male dress code”.
Nova told Daily Mail Australia: “The security guard said that she wasn’t being let in because she was inappropriately dressed, because she didn’t fit the male dress code.
“Clearly at that current point in time we were in fact women… we were just gob smacked [at] what was happening.”
Nova went on to say that the security guard said her friend would be allowed in the venue if she wore “long pants and a shirt”.
“As a drag queen, we [were] wearing a solid eight layers of stockings and tights which… is a hell of a lot thicker than pants,” she added.
“It was insulting… but if Jessica was a cis-gendered female wearing the exact same outfit she’d be let in, we’ve all seen women in clubs wearing nothing but a lingerie top and short shorts.
“There’s a double standard with the dress code.”
After being refused entry, they asked to speak to the management but were allegedly told they weren’t allowed in for “quarrelsome behaviour”.
Nova continued: “[It’s] very, very frustrating for people who’ve just been discriminated against.
“So hurt, confused and frustrated we gave up. We walked away.
“Being gay, I’ve faced a lot of discrimination throughout my lifetime but this is really up there.
“This whole situation was ridiculous, it was an insult to my friend, to the art of drag and to the entire LGBTQI community of Newcastle.”
Finnegan’s Hotel confirmed the security guard had since been fired after he “handled the explanation poorly” and revealed the news online.
They wrote: “We’re deeply sorry for the hurt and frustration that these comments have caused.
“The security guard is no longer working at Finnegan’s. We have also requested that the security contractor immediately update their regular training to make sure security staff are aware of the hotel’s expectations.”