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Vice: Toronto Nightclubs Have a Problem with Racist Door Policies

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B

bananafactory

Banned
http://thump.vice.com/en_ca/article/toronto-nightclubs-racism-door-policies-feature

When Canadian comedian Daniel Woodrow visited Toronto nightclub EFS one Saturday evening in early June, he had an experience that's all too familiar to many people of colour. As his white friends were being ushered past the velvet ropes of the King Street West venue, the doorman stopped him and told him that he wasn't getting in.
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"That's what's so insidious about institutionalized racism, it's set up in a way that you're gaslighted right away," said Toronto artist Isis Salam of her experiences in the city's clubs. "If you say something, they'll be like 'What do you mean, there's a black guy already in there,' because they've already hit their two black guy quota. You can't even call them out about it, even though you can clearly see that it's not really about capacity or about dress code."
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THUMP reached out to a former bouncer we'll call "John" about his experiences working the door at several Toronto clubs since the 90s, and he also confirmed that the practice of deliberately limiting the number of black and brown patrons was disturbingly commonplace. He was regularly instructed to prevent larger groups of black men from entering together, although he says his bosses were always careful with their wording.

"They wouldn't say black specifically, but they would use code words. If they said to not let in too many 'hip hoppers,' or too many 'homies,' we knew what they meant. There was an understanding that you don't let in a big group of younger black guys all at one time."
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As someone who isn't into the club scene I had no idea this kind of stuff went on, it's sad we still have this problem in 2016. I also suspect that it's not isolated to Toronto or even Canada, and probably extends to a lot of venue types other than clubs.

Have any of you guys run into this type of race screening?
 
O

Onemic

Member
Happened to me and my brother when we were going to a club for our cousins birthday.(I cant remember the name of the club, it was one of the million clubs around Richmond st.) We were the last in our group to get to the bouncer and we were told that we couldnt get in because of our shoes, since they werent dress shoes. Problem is that almost no one in our group were wearing dress shoes and all the non-black guys in our group got in without a problem wearing whatever they wanted. We were barred from going in until our group finally got tired of the place and decided to leave. That was about 2 hours later.

The bouncers were both black too btw. It took a lot for us to not completely go to town on him with what he was doing.
 
A

arab

Member
happened to my friend in germany. we all said fuck you and were about to leave until they changed their mind

still though, fuck that place
 
B

B!TCH

how are you, B!TCH? How is your day going, B!ITCH?
It's roughly equivalent of people crossing the street when they see a group of black guys approaching them in the opposite direction or checking to see if their doors are locked when they see a black person approach their car.

2016 or not, black people are stereotyped as potential criminals or trouble makers all the time and the stereotype applies similarly in nightclubs. Chris Brown was complaining about the same thing the other day and got fired from his residency for it.
 
O

Otheradam

Member
The door guys deliberately let the girls/white dudes in your group in first so they don't even know that you were stopped. This happened to me and a friend. We had 7 girls with us and they said "ladies first" and then tried to charge us 2 guys $40 to get in. At this point the girls can't even try to defend you or say "lets go somewhere else".
 
D

dripdripsplash

Member
This is real old in Denmark for brown people.

People talk about it like just a regular thing that happens now.

"Don't go in a group guys we'll never get in", "show him your university card as ID instead man" etc. etc. lol
 
G

Gotdatmoney

Member
Is there any actual reason they don't want your business? Like I don't really understand a point to this.

Can say I have never been turned away from a bar or club so I didnt know this was a thing.
 
C

Christhor

Member
Gotdatmoney said:
Is there any actual reason they don't want your business? Like I don't really understand a point to this.

Can say I have never been turned away from a bar or club so I didnt know this was a thing.
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I'm assuming the nightclub owners seem to think that black people are dangerous when they're in a group? Since that ex-bouncer apparently were told to prevent groups to get in together.

Here the only real way to not get into a club is if the bouncer thinks you're drunk, but they're often hilariously off base with it. Like they'll accuse the only sober guy of being drunk and not getting in and stuff like that. I once saw them trying to throw out a pregnant lady who was drinking soda, because they thought she was drunk, lol. She just stood up, showed them the belly and they walked away.

Not letting people come in based on race is something they don't practice here, thankfully.
 
A

Arksy

Member
I never had a problem in Vancouver...although that might be different, I'm not sure...

Surprisingly, I've never really had that problem anywhere. I'm sorry for everyone who has. Must feel terrible.
 
G

GoldenEye 007

Member
Dazzler said:
nightclubs that have any sort of door policy are best avoided

Nothing but scumbags
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Yeah, Stockholm was a nightmare when I went a couple months ago. I tend to avoid clubs anyway. The snobbery and potential racism is off the charts. Plus of course the drinks which are generally universally ridiculous.
 
B

Boombloxer

Member
Gotdatmoney said:
Is there any actual reason they don't want your business? Like I don't really understand a point to this.

Can say I have never been turned away from a bar or club so I didnt know this was a thing.
Click to expand...

US is no different. Happened to me a while back in a different part of San Diego.
One of my friends couldn't get in one place, so we went to another spot, and they didn't let me in instead. Comedy.

We just said F this, and bounced to downtown, where we got pulled over for DWB.
This was in 2004-ish, so a while ago.

Since then, it hasn't happened, but it's fairly common.
Even dating a few Canadian girls they'd tell me stories like that for Toronto.
 
Z

Zaph

Member
Happens all over the world. A club in London had a mini-protest outside it last year for turning away dark skin and overweight women (and even docked promoter's commission for inviting any).

When I used to go clubbing, it was pretty much an open secret that groups of black guys had no chance of getting in anywhere hot (compared to the very small chance white guys had). Since then, I heard it's got even easier for clubs to cover their blatant racism behind the guise of trying to avoid violence associated with grime clubs that got shut down. Also, if you get in, have fun waiting twice as long at the bar.
 
S

Slayven

Member
0925-hulk-hogan-dress-code-1.jpg

if hats and baggy shorts aren't for the beach, where are they for?
 
D

Dusk Soldier

Member
Gotdatmoney said:
Is there any actual reason they don't want your business? Like I don't really understand a point to this.

Can say I have never been turned away from a bar or club so I didnt know this was a thing.
Click to expand...

I imagine there is a hidden diversity quota that night clubs try to maintain. I'm sure they try to make sure that at least 70% of the patrons at any given time are women.

I imagine there is also a standard look, they look for when admitting men into the club. Women have a tendency to describe ugly guys as creepy or sketchy. And hate being approached unsolicited by guys that aren't good looking.

So it just helps the general image of their bar to be more picky with the guys they let in.

With race unfortunately being one of the factors we use to judge someones attractiveness. These clubs entry policies would become pretty racist.
 
G

Gotdatmoney

Member
Boombloxer said:
US is no different. Happened to me a while back in a different part of San Diego.
One of my friends couldn't get in one place, so we went to another spot, and they didn't let me in instead. Comedy.

We just said F this, and bounced to downtown, where we got pulled over for DWB.
This was in 2004-ish, so a while ago.

Since then, it hasn't happened, but it's fairly common.
Even dating a few Canadian girls they'd tell me stories like that for Toronto.
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Just sad. I haven't been clubbing in Toronto but I've been out in the surrounding area. Didnt really know this was a thing. Suppose I'm just lucky to not have it happen.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
This is SUPER common in the States, and sometimes works in reverse (bouncers won't let white guys into a black club because it may foment trouble, rather than abject racism).

The only hair-thin thread of "excuse" is that they're trying to create a hyper specific vibe, and are turning away cultural misfits. When I was a bouncer briefly in Scotland, we were told not to let skinheads into the Goth part, and not to let punks into the skinhead nights for similar reasons.

Of course this was a monolithically white city, and we never had any major "race" issues to deal with. Even the skinheads had nobody to fight except punks.
 
O

Onemic

Member
Gotdatmoney said:
Is there any actual reason they don't want your business? Like I don't really understand a point to this.

Can say I have never been turned away from a bar or club so I didnt know this was a thing.
Click to expand...

It's because they're afraid they'll lose business by doing so because non-black people don't want to go to a club that has a lot of black people in it. Sad but true.
 
B

bchamba

Member
Gotdatmoney said:
Is there any actual reason they don't want your business? Like I don't really understand a point to this.

Can say I have never been turned away from a bar or club so I didnt know this was a thing.
Click to expand...

because black bars/clubs don't win awards

Code: 
[IMG]http://www.sofakingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/chad-coleman.jpg[/IMG]
 
B

br0ken_shad0w

Member
Agree that's it's pretty common. It's gotten so bad with some clubs in my area the DoJ had to get involved.

Ran into this myself in Germany with my Aussie friends. Wouldn't let the dark skin people go in (doesn't help we didn't have girls with us). Luckily I never experienced in the states because I tend to know which clubs are the shitty ones.
 
P

PeakPointMatrix

Member
Gotdatmoney said:
Is there any actual reason they don't want your business? Like I don't really understand a point to this.

Can say I have never been turned away from a bar or club so I didnt know this was a thing.
Click to expand...
dancing-at-night-club-600_ngktmn.jpg


This is their idealized club scene. Beautiful white people, mostly women. Can't let too much "hood" into this picture :/
 
P

platocplx

Member
bananafactory said:
Have any of you guys run into this type of race screening?
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Yup, not a personal experience, but I know people of color who want to throw parties, they will get discriminated against by venues with things like " we dont do(host) urban parties" , "were not sure you are the crowd for us" and things in that strain. many of us kind of just except it, but its really trash.

Even as far as I know someone organizing a party in dallas hit up at least 40 venues one venue they tried not callling, did everything through e-mail and they gave a deposit, someone called about tickets for the party they looked up the party then said they didnt like the flier or the wording canceled saying they didnt sign the contract even with the deposit.

This shit happens a lot.
 
E

Eidan

Member
A couple of years ago here in the DMV area, a local bar in Bethesda that was pretty popular on Thursday nights, attracting a mixed crowd, started implementing a cover charge for patrons who were not local. By local, they limited the scope to downtown Bethesda. If your ID put your residence outside of downtown Bethesda, you paid $10. Downtown Bethesda houses a largely white, affluent population, and the surrounding neighborhoods in Takoma Park and Silver Spring had a much larger minority population.

The message was clear, and the impact was immediate. What used to be a thumping, crowded bar and dance floor (which was visible from the street), immediately cut its Thursday night crowds by more than half, and the bar was lightly populated with nothing but young whites. The difference was pretty startling. I never went back.
 
P

platocplx

Member
I honestly dont know how clubs get away with this, like if you want to be freaking exclusive charge a ton of money or something.

Makes me think I would love to just have a club where each group just spins a wheel if they get in or not make it fun that way and take a jab at clubs who discriminate.
 
Oppo

Oppo

Member
Onemic said:
It's because they're afraid they'll lose business by doing so because non-black people don't want to go to a club that has a lot of black people in it. Sad but true.
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surprising for Toronto. not saying it's not true but I've been to lots of places over the years with a healthy demo spread.

if TO clubs have this problem then I believe it's probably endemic to all clubs everywhere
 
J

jaxpunk

Member
I used to hang out with a bunch of friends in Tampa who were all Asian. When going to the club I would without question get stopped every single time. White guy racism exists. I thought it was hilarious, ah well.
 
K

kirblar

Member
Eidan said:
A couple of years ago here in the DMV area, a local bar in Bethesda that was pretty popular on Thursday nights, attracting a mixed crowd, started implementing a cover charge for patrons who were not local. By local, they limited the scope to downtown Bethesda. If your ID put your residence outside of downtown Bethesda, you paid $10. Downtown Bethesda houses a largely white, affluent population, and the surrounding neighborhoods in Takoma Park and Silver Spring had a much larger minority population.

The message was clear, and the impact was immediate. What used to be a thumping, crowded bar and dance floor (which was visible from the street), immediately cut its Thursday night crowds by more than half, and the bar was lightly populated with nothing but young whites. The difference was pretty startling. I never went back.
Click to expand...
Greene Turtle in Frederick had the equivalent of that Hogan's Beach sign.

Greene Turtle in Germantown? Nada.
 
J

jmood88

Member
This is an issue in a lot of places. When I was in college at Ohio State, there were (and still are) a string of clubs in the part of the city most college students go to that we're notorious for being racist as fuck. I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that I would have to go out in church/business clothes or else I would get told that either my pants were too baggy (which was ridiculous as I've never liked sagging) or that it was an 25+ night and I couldn't get in. If you want to see some other stories, go to Facebook and look up Park Street Cantina. I've never been treated as poorly anywhere as I did anytime I tried to go there.
 
O

Oxn

Member
jaxpunk said:
I used to hang out with a bunch of friends in Tampa who were all Asian. When going to the club I would without question get stopped every single time. White guy racism exists. I thought it was hilarious, ah well.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you are saying here. Can you expand?

Are you saying they let the asians in the club and not the white guy?
 
O

OléGunner

Member
Experienced this with my friends tons of times at University in Birmingham, UK.

It's sickening but we grew to avoid the clubs were black guys were generally bounced at the door.
 
L

lethial

Reeeeeeee
There was a club outside of Vancouver that wouldn't let in big groups of brown guys. Bouncers were ex cfl players. Their justification was that the groups were just looking to cause shit in the club. This was 10-15 years ago.
 
S

SystemBug

Member
i remember going to a Jays game a few years ago.

Me and my friends got searched and checked, while whole groups of white people were let in with no issue. Can't assume 3 brown kids and a black guy aren't going to cause trouble I guess.
 
H

HitchcockInTheZiplock

Member
I saw a Toronto news station did a piece on this a whiiiiiiile back. Was fucked up. They had two black dudes go to like three or four dif clubs, and they only got into one. In every club, you could literally hear the rap music blasting from the inside as they refused the two black guys, even though they were moderately dressed as well. I bet that's so irritating.

If I remember correctly, I think they went the extra mile to show that two white guys wearing the same thing can and will get in.
 
P

PanicFreak

Member
Onemic said:
Happened to me and my brother when we were going to a club for our cousins birthday.(I cant remember the name of the club, it was one of the million clubs around Richmond st.) We were the last in our group to get to the bouncer and we were told that we couldnt get in because of our shoes, since they werent dress shoes. Problem is that almost no one in our group were wearing dress shoes and all the non-black guys in our group got in without a problem wearing whatever they wanted. We were barred from going in until our group finally got tired of the place and decided to leave. That was about 2 hours later.

The bouncers were both black too btw. It took a lot for us to not completely go to town on him with what he was doing.
Click to expand...

The bouncers are dicks but so are your friends.
 
F

FairyD

Member
Sounds about right. I've encountered this a couple of times in the entertainment district, getting turned down by the bouncers. Usually they tell me, 'we're full at the moment', then a couple people behind me get in with no problem.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
My nightclub days are long over and I don't miss them.

They're pretty lame these days with overpriced drinks and crappy DJs.
 
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