Pinkalicious aims for girls only
Relative newcomer on the girls night scene Pinkalicious may be following the lead of The Peel and The Laird Hotel with a policy excluding patrons of the opposite sex.
Pinkalicious organisers have applied to VCAT for an exemption from state equal opportunity laws which would allow them to turn biological men away from the event.
Organiser Julie MacKenzie told Southern Star the move is being taken so management can ensure the night remains women’s only.
She said the decision was made as a result of requests from women attending the event.
-œBasically it was a decision to make it all female and if we were going to do that then we’re going to do it properly.
We may incorporate men for one-off events but we want to make it an all-girl event.
Pinkalicious started earlier this year and is a dance event targeted at a sophisticated, femme and -œstylish lesbian crowd. It has a strict dress code policy.
VCAT is yet to make a decision.
Rather than on gender lines, The Peel’s exemption in 2007 allowed the venue to turn people away based on their sexual orientation and was met with divided opinion in the wider community.
In other areas, gender-based exemptions have been successfully upheld.
Fernwood Fitness has been granted an exemption to allow it to operate as a female-only gym.
There has been much discussion about this night on a lesbian website. Several members posted about their dismay when women they were with were turned away on opening night. While the Pinkalicious management now says it’s just about being dressed neatly….on opening night, several butch women who were reportedly dressed in a neat and tidy fashion were turned away for not meeting the ‘dress standard’. Let’s hope this has now changed, I’d like to think that when Pinkalicious says it welcomes women, it welcomes *all* women, be they femme, butch – or otherwise.
As it states – “Pinkalicious started earlier this year and is a dance event targeted at a sophisticated, femme and –
It’s no different to straight venues – for some clubs and bars, if you turn up looking scruffy, they’ll turn you away. No harm in that. From what I’ve heard, it’s not a matter of turning away ‘butch’ girls, it’s about encouraging people to show a bit of style and flair (whether they wear a dress or pants, short hair or long), in keeping with the spirit of the night.
Allegations! thats all they are. My partner is as you say (sally) masculine looking,trousers were worn and I have very very short hair, we have been to all pinkalicious nights held and because we adhered to the dress code we were welcomed with no hesitation on entry.
Pinkalicious has a dress code that excludes streetwear – runners, thongs, tshirts, baseball caps and general scruffiness . Fashionable denim is OK.
While, we have excluded a small number of people on the basis of our dress code, we don’t believe we have excluded anyone on the basis of whether they were –
I guess it depends whether in Australian law the place is seen as a public or a private venue.
This is always the problem with capitalistic ventures, its all about the look and how much money they can make from their image, and not much about the people and the spirit.
More autonomous venues!
allegations have been made this event turns away masculine-appearing women e.g. wearing trousers, short hair. how is this neforcable under EO law.