Dan - homophobic incident at nightclub
 

This is taken from his Myspace blog which he posted today

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Revolution Bar Homophobia Shame.


It is with deep regret that I write this blog.

I was booked to DJ Revolution Bar/Club in Swindon on Friday evening...

It was GWR FM's Charity evening and I felt privileged to be asked.What I didn't expect what what amounted to be out and out Bullying and Victimisation by the clubs door staff.

After playing my first set I was in the garden enjoying a cigarette and a glass of Red, chatting to people having pictures taken, signing autographs, everything that I do without question. I love meeting people and being nosey. I was rudely interrupted by a bouncer with a really bad attitude and he told me to remove my hat. My Bowler no less.

I politely declined and when he told me I'd have to leave I did so without question, packed up my records and made for the door. Only to persuaded back in and apologised to profusely by managers and deputy managers and GWR Fm's Laura Shields (The organiser).

After giving them another chance and wanting to put the rudeness behind me, I went back in to DJ my second set. Only to have my Hat physically removed by what seemed like The Head doorman who'd come all the way upstairs to do just that.

"We've told you once take your *****ing hat off" I explained calmly I'd been told to leave it on by management. He barked that he didn't "*****ing care" and said I was to be ejected if I put it on.

I chose to leave anyway and whilst I was being pushed out the door I asked the manager Rob Ward why he was allowing me to be treated like this he didn't say anything this time and looked on.

I later found my freind Shaun back at the hotel, he'd gone out the club for a cigarette and they wouldn't let him back in, he over heard the same doorman comment to a collegue that it was because we were "A *****ing bunch of queers"

Blog continues HERE

:mad:

That's awful. Poor Dan, but he dealt with it well.

thats terrible , you should complain to the mangement ,abou the treatment you recived and they di nothing . if you get no reply go for their local news paper . name and shame the club .:hug:

He could have just took his hat off, the diva!

"I politely declined" - Biased methinks.
Why didn't he just take his hat off? The bouncers have a job and the club has a policy, he's not above it.

However, homophobia shouldn't happen no matter what.

He's so not a diva! If he'd been treated with respect then he might have but he thinks the 'no hat' rule at some clubs is a stupid one anyway & usually leaves anywhere that has that rule.

He wrote this back in December last year.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...tcitymag-1.jpg

So why did he enter the club knowing that it had a no hat rule?
Why did he not leave when they asked him to take it off at first?

The club has a policy, it doesn't matter whether he thinks that policy is right - it's the clubs rules. He's NOT above rules.

Please read the blog properly. He entered the club because he was WORKING. He was booked to DJ. He had no advance knowledge of dress code & did leave when asked, only to be begged to return.

He didn't leave when they asked him to take his hat off though. Which is apparently what he stands for? Hypocrite.

"I politely declined and when he told me I'd have to leave I did so without question, packed up my records and made for the door."

Which bit of that are you having a problem understanding? He didn't leave until told to because HE WAS WORKING! Admin edited that bit out.

I liked Dan - he was my favourite housemate that year, and one of my favourite housemates of all time. Homophobia is inexcusable, no matter what the circumstances. However, I do agree that he just could have removed the hat. The fact that he was working makes no difference. Okay, so maybe he didn't know the 'not hat' rule when he entered the club, but when informed of it, he should have removed the hat.

Obviously, this Dan's version of events - it would be interesting to hear the other side.

I'll ignore the personal insult in my reply.

Like I said, the instant he knew their was a no hat policy why didn't he take off the hat instead of waiting til he was told to leave?

You appear to be ignoring everything I've told you. I've already answered that question.

You've explained why he didn't leave.

You haven't explained why when he was first asked to remove his hat he didn't?

I have and so has he (if you've read his article). He's DJd all over the country for years and this has never happened before. Ever. He wasn't a punter - he was the DJ.

It's never happened before... and?
If they asked him to do it, whats wrong with complying?

I'm a Dan fan by the way, so I'm not just jumping on this cos it's him.

I hope I am not speaking unfairly here in saying that everyone here so far appears to sympathise with anyone who is treated unjustly because of sexual choice.
That does not appear to be the question? It muddy's the water when a person has broken the rules of an organisation as Dan did in this case, whether unwittingly or not. He should have removed his hat straight away to adhere to the rules and not put it back on.

Say Dans sexual preference was not in question here? Would we be discussing this? The rules would still be the rules and he would had still been asked to leave by the bouncers because he broke those rules.

We only have hearsay about what was said by ALL parties and yes the bouncers could have said what they did and if so that was inexcusable. If that is the case then action must be taken.Dan was still wrong because he inflammed a situation which did not need to be inflammed. Walking out left the management which booked him in a very difficult position were he to do a diva act and he must have known that. Lets not be silly here.

I read the whole blog entry and understood every word of it.
Let's hope the matter can be sorted. I too like Dan and detest people who cannot understand we all come in different shapes, sizes and varieties.

Edited as for some reason I had put the name Richard?

I guess we're discussing it because it would appear that the bouncer was motivated by homophobia. This wasn't about hats. He wanted the 'queers' out of the club.

Thats really unfair and homophobic. Shouldnt happen in this day and age.

Report in the Swindon Advertiser

My club gay slur – Big Brother's Dan


A FORMER reality TV contestant has alleged he was targeted in a homophobic slur during a charity event in Swindon.

Big Brother 5 star Dan Bryan was the DJ for the night at the Revolution Vodka Bar on Friday night when the incident happened at about 1am.

The 33-year-old from Hull packed up his records and walked out of the establishment during his second one-hour set after an argument over a black bowler hat.

Full story

Some bouncers are right dicks,plain and simple.Obviously not all but many of them think they have the authority to speak to people like **** and think its ok to treat you differently becuase of your sexuality,race,town your from,your age, your religion,a whole number of things.I know this is probably an unfair comment but on the whole I hate bouncers.

It's because the hat is kind of representative of his image and personality; it's part of the act.

That's true. But that doesn't make him above the rules.

I think some people are slightly missing the point here. This isn't about hats, it's about Dan being manhandled & called a "*****ing queer*

I read about this in another forum,I think folks forget how much abuse gay people have to put up with.Big Dan cuts a formidable figure but is obviously not an aggressive person.I was sorry to hear about this incident and wish Dan all the best with his music.I did not know he worked as a DJ.I watched one of his videos on his my space and want to know is he releasing an album.My son produces and presents his own music on Internet radio though he produces trance and rave and this a good way of getting your music out there .Still I,d love to hear Dans music..Once again sorry to hear of his travails and hope he is not too upset.:devil:

i really liked dan in the house. his vocal abilities are somewhat different.