Bartender at local LGBTQ+ bar attacked & building vandalized; police investigating alleged hate crime
An inclusive neighborhood bar known for craft cocktails, local beer, body positivity, and drag performances faced an alleged hate crime last week.
Owner of Bossy Grrl’s Pin Up Joint, Cora Helton, posted on social media, explaining the alleged hate crime in detail. “A disturbed individual threw heinous slurs and insults at our staff and patrons, physically attacked one person and broke in our door. The end result was 4 stitches, a massive repair bill, and a heaping helping of trauma.”
On the night of the alleged incident, Helton said a drag and burlesque show was taking place at the bar, located at 2598 N. High St. Right in the middle of the show, a man allegedly hopped on stage and spewed hateful & homophobic comments. Helton told 614Now that the man specifically stated that “Gays are pedophiles,” and that were will soon “be a war against straights and gays.”
“We don’t know if he chose our venue specifically because it’s a queer space,” said Helton, “or if he was going to be a problem wherever he went and thought bigotry was the most hateful thing he could do in the moment. Neither circumstance negates the impact his actions had…These extremist views aren’t just being spouted by rogue groups – politicians are now saying these things. You can’t trust that these things are just words anymore. Someone will hear these words and want to do something about it. There are people who actually want to take action.”
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The staff repeatedly tried de-escalating the incident. Helton said the man punched a bartender, who identifies as a transgender woman. Her lip was split, inside and outside, and she had to get four stitches. They called the police when the man eventually left, but the police still hadn’t shown up when they saw the man coming back again. At that point, they implemented their planned active shooter drill. Helton said that initially, the man didn’t have a weapon, but he could have went to his car and grabbed a gun or a brick from the street — they were unsure if he was trying to come back with a weapon or not, and it was better to be safe rather than sorry.
The sound & tech staff barricaded the front door, while other employees escorted patrons safely and quietly out the back door.
“We’re very proud of our staff’s response, from repeated attempts at de-escalation to ensuring the safety of patrons and performers. We’re not exaggerating when we say they were heroes that night,” Helton emphasized.
Police are still investigating the incident, and no arrests have been made at this time. Bossy Grrl is hoping they can pay the affected staff so they can take time off to heal without losing any income. They also want to add more security, and replace their door “with something more substantial,” and they’re asking for community help to do so.
Although their front door is shattered, and therefore covered in cardboard, they’re still welcoming patrons to their space. “If you can, please consider visiting Bossy Grrl’s in the coming weeks,” said their Instagram post. “We like to think that our venue is of value to the community. Even though we don’t have the biggest stage or snazziest decor, we keep the doors open because we love what we do, and want to provide a space for all the misfit toys in Columbus.”
If you can’t make it in-person, consider donating to their new security measures through this website.
“We’re not letting hate stop us, we hope you won’t either,” Bossy Grrl’s post said.
Helton wants to encourage other LGBTQ+ bars to have a safety plan in place, just in case this happens to them.
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