Dear Suite and the NYC LGBT community,
My friends and I regularly visit your bar. In fact one of my friends loves it so much because it's so inclusive. It's a place where gays, straights and everyone in between would feel accepted and not judged.
On Saturday night (September 3, 2016) however, that wasn't the case. It was drag night, which was always fun. I admire drag queens because of their freedom and not give a fuckery attitude. In fact one can say that it's an outlet for those who are oppressed and made fun of. This persona is freedom, it's expression, it's everything that allows "the others" (like us) to finally experience life as it is intended.
I have a terrible memory with names, but the person performing that night as Tina turner, was definitely slaying. I was pretty much intoxicated and having a fun time, that is until "Tina" drags me on stage. I mean, I was definitely willing to get up cause girl, I'm always DTF. But what happens after was quite a shock. When I got up there, she asked me where I was from. Now this question has always been hard to answer when I'm sober (I was born in Indonesia, raised in California and now living in NYC), so I just blanked in my deeply intoxicated state.
Then pretty much shit hits the fan. Someone (if not her) suggested Thailand just like Danielle the bartender (I'm sure danielle is NOT from Thailand), then Bangkok, then it quickly turned into an escalation of other racial Asian slurs that seemed to be completely acceptable since everyone was laughing and having a grand old time. NO one said anything. I was left there on my own. It felt belittling and completely hurtful not because I'm not used to these slurs , but because it's coming from a community that I'm a part of. A community I deeply love and am constantly fighting for. A community that has experienced discrimination, prejudice, oppression. I was made an "other" in this supposedly inclusive community. Race is not just black and white. If someone were to ask the queen who was performing where she came from ("Africa!" "Uganda!"), I'm sure that would be considered somewhat insensitive (as it should be).
I'm not expecting much because hey, this is the type of place we still live in now and it's part of a larger social problem (and I'm sure has happened in other gay venues). This is the type of world that still sees me as an underaged feminine Asian bottom from the exotic land of Bangkok, Thailand (is that the only Asian country you prejudice fucks know other than China?).
I would ask though that you guys should be a bit more sensitive to these issues. Recognize that disenfranchising other minorities (even the invisible "model" minorities) are not okay. There's making fun for the sake of "jest" and Then there's flat out being mean and oppressive. You guys know what it feels like to be put down. But I guess my question would be, when the tables are turned, how does it feel putting other people down? Do you feel much more accepted now?
Love forever and always,
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