Christian D.
Yelp
I've been going to The Monster for years. It used to be such a great place for gay men to drink, dance, sing, and make friends (some with benefits). That all changed after the COVID-19 pandemic. When the bar initially re-opened after the 2020 lockdown, seating was restricted to outdoors, but most of us didn't mind. We were simply glad we as gay men still had a place of our own when so many others closed their doors for good. Once indoor activities resumed, the place suddenly became a haven for young, single, and predominately heterosexual (white) females.
It began with a few of them coming with their gay male friends, but then all of a sudden they started showing up in droves; particularly on Friday nights.
They're usually super drunk, loud, and rude upon entrance. They spill drinks all over the place, while stumbling around the dance floor with stupid dancing and annoying screaming. They push and shove their way to the bars and upstairs restroom, but then complain to the security staff about "being touched". Some of them even become combative and physical, which sometimes leads to gay men being removed just to pacify them, even though it's a GAY BAR.
Many of the regulars aren't happy with them taking over a space that wasn't intended for them, but according to the staff, they need a safe space where they don't have to fear unwanted advances from straight men. That seems a little odd to me because many of them return regularly with their heterosexual male friends and boyfriends in tow. They gather in big groups at the bar and block spaces while they kiss and make out. This is frustrating for the bartenders and other customers wanting to order drinks because they won't move aside. Some of the guys even get mad if another man hits on them, but again, it's a GAY BAR, "Bro"!
I've found myself going less frequently because I simply do not enjoy the place any more. It no longer feels like a fun place for gay men, but more like a twisted form of gentrification, except it's the gay customers are being pushed out of spaces we created.
I'm looking for other bars and venues that haven't compromised the freedoms we fought so hard to achieve in the West Village. At the end of the day, capitalism rules, so I suppose a dollar is a dollar regardless of the hand it's attached to. I'm not saying these people can't support the business, but we as gay men should not be made to feel like visitors in our own establishment.