I would come for charity events if the policy changed.” “We want to support the Wrangler but want the policy to change. “I’ve been watching the discussion between the Wrangler and the protest group, and feel our requests for a dialog have been denied,” she said. McGrath said some transgender people face legal or financial obstacles that prevent them from updating their ID photos, and gender expression is often more complex than ID cards show. An entire portion of our community is being denied access.” “There’s a belief that gender identity and drag queens are two separate things, but in reality there’s crossover. I have many customers who are trans men and women, and having an appearance-matching ID means they could get in quite easily.”īut protester Cait McGrath said she hasn’t seen enough of an effort from the Wrangler to address the protesters’ concerns.”I see what they’re trying to get at, but don’t agree,” she said. “I think they’re exercising their rights,” Newland said as he looked on at the protesters from the bar entrance, “but my policy simply states that we have to be able to tell you are who you say you are, and that’s not going to change.
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State law, which requires that bars refuse alcohol to minors, allows establishments to set their own policies on how to ensure that doesn’t happen, while another state law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Since the boycott started, the Wrangler has stated its entrance policy has nothing to do with gender identity or whether an ID card’s gender marker is ‘M’ or ‘F’ - that the policy addresses only the appearance of the person compared to the appearance in the photo ID. “What we’re doing is trying to raise awareness about the discriminatory policy - we can’t fight for our rights against the right wing if we can’t be confident in our own community.” Tuesday brings all-day happy hour and $3 tequila shots and drinks, Wednesday is $4 you-call-it drinks, and on Thursdays, SIR celebrates industry professionals with 40 percent off the tab.“It’s not about the one incident I had, but the whole policy,” Marzano said. Anytime is a good time to go, Stewart says, though the Sunday drag queen brunches with Lacey Vanderpump is especially popular. Dark red lights make the mood more nightclub-like, but to keep it bright there’s a rainbow light shining along the exposed brick wall. The large cylinder structure that used to house the serving station at Vesta is now a DJ booth. Push them to the side and you have a late night dance party, or put the seats in the center of the bar for dinnertime dining. Now, there are movable booths so the area can change based on what’s going on at SIR on any given night. “This used to be an iconic Denver restaurant it has natural brick and a lot of history.”
“It’s a popping area, but there’s not a good gay bar,” he says. It’s the history of the space that drew Stewart to the location. SIR Denver opened in what used to be Vesta Dipping Grill, a long-time downtown hotspot. “The bartenders get to be creative it’s not just a -unless that’s what you want.” “I wanted to serve more than just vodka soda,” Stewart says. Stewart says the idea was to make a place where you could go have a nice glass of wine solo, meet a friend, or make a whole night out of it. There are cocktails on tap, craft beer, and a curated wine list. Sunday brunch, bookable as an OpenTable experience, includes bottomless mimosas, a drag queen host, and a plate of those aforementioned bruschetta featuring duck pate, artichoke, brie, short rib, and more.Īside from bubbles, drinks also play a big part in the experience of SIR. Overseeing the menu is chef Marissa Hardman, who has added plates such as tahini-laced cauliflower and a lineup of hearty bruschetta during brunch service. “Something that we put a little more thought into than just throwing in the fryer.” “We wanted to create something more on the fine-dining side,” he says. But the team is pulling away from the steakhouse vibe a little by slowly adding other dishes to the menu, Stewart says. With options including a 10-ounce bavette steak, double-cut rack of pork ribs, a 14-ounce Angus NY strip steak, a signature burger with secret sauce, and roasted Brussels sprouts with nuoc cham and peanuts, it’s not surprising one might think it’s a meat market. The “LGBT” toast (lettuce, guacamole, bacon, tomato) | Photo credit: SIRĪt first glance SIR appears to be a steakhouse.