Athena M.
Yelp
I've been to Bond Street a bunch of times - Normally on slower nights, normally in the winter, normally with my brother. I grew up in Ocean Grove. I have a great love, respect, and understanding of the Shore, and its history. I'm also a gay female who has witnessed what the LGBTQ+ community has done for Asbury Park first hand, back to the beginning when Moonstruck relocated from OG to AP and no one else wanted to be here.
Well, last night was a Friday in the summer in Asbury. We've had a house for the past week, and I'd been enjoying playing tour guide - showing my friends some of the places off Ocean Ave, not just Porta or the Empress. Bond Street's setup - It admittedly is inventive, and has an adventure vibe - has always intrigued me so my friends and I (we're not in our 20s; we're all professionals in our mid-30s+, meaning we know how to behave) decided that we'd try it out. We had a round at our place, and headed out.
Just to understand the demo of our group - One male gay couple (mid 30s-40s), one female gay couple (mid 30s), and two straight couples (mid 30s).
A member of the gay male couple was wearing a romper.
We walked up to the bouncer at Bond Street. He looked directly at my friend in the romper (MFITR). He scanned him up and down, and scoffed.
MFITR gave his ID first. It's a Maryland issued ID, but my friend is clearly over the age of 21 (clearly in his mid 30s), so this shouldn't have really been an issue.
"Tell me your street name."
"I'm sorry?"
"Tell me your full address"
"(Says full address)"
At this point our group of friends was a little on edge.
"Say the ABCs"
"(Sings the first part of the ABCs)" MFITR stops incredulously, as this is getting weird. The bouncer looks at the ID again, looks at my friend.
"Nah, man. You missed like half the ABCs, you aren't getting in tonight."
Furious, because we all know what's happening here, we leave. I'm irate and I yell (I'm angry - I'm from the Shore - I'm in Asbury Park - I'm gay - I just witnessed homophobia in my home - It's 2018 - This isn't how anyone should ever feel).
The bouncer starts laughing and pointing at us with a police officer. I stew and glare from the corner of Cookman. This was supposed to be a good night. Our straight friends saw it, we saw it. MFITR saw it, and was so shook, he and his boyfriend left and went home.
I've never been so shamed, so embarrassed (of my hometown), so distraught by someone's blatant bias.
Long story short - If you're part of the LGBTQ+ community, maybe go somewhere else. Actions speak much louder than words (or your Stoli partnership and Pride flags in posts).