Club Formerly Known As Pink Pony Announces New Name

The Oxford Street club formerly known as Pink Pony announced their new name on Tuesday afternoon, rebranding as TRIBE @ 231.

Describing themselves as a “nightclub created by members of the LGBTQI+ community for the LGBTQI+ community”, TRIBE @ 231 will feature three floors of “high-energy dance music, fusing underground house, techno, pop remixes, disco, and anthemic queer classics”.

“Oxford Street has always been a cultural beacon for the LGBTQI+ community,” the announcement post on their Instagram read.

“TRIBE @ 231 is our love letter to that legacy — a place to dance, connect, and celebrate queer joy in all its forms.”

The venue is scheduled to open in early December.

 

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A post shared by TRIBE @ 231 (@tribeat231)

Words such as “tribe” or “tribal” are often used to describe a group of people bonded together over a similar interest or community, however, First Nations people around the world have criticised its use in non-Indigenous contexts, arguing that the word is derogatory and an example of cultural appropriation.

A rocky start

Last week CEO Michael Lewis and owner Kevin Du-Val apologised after the latter said in an interview that the club would be “unashamedly … targeted” toward gay men aged 18 to 35.

“Of course the girls will be welcome, but it would certainly be our desire that it predominantly gay boys,” he added.

Many called the comments about the bar’s preferred demographic tone-deaf and outdated, and also pointed out the irony of naming the club after a song by fiercely proudly lesbian singer, Chappell Roan.

His comments reignited long-standing frustrations about the exclusion of lesbians, bisexual and queer women, and trans people from gay bars and LGBTQIA+ nightlife venues, particularly in the wake of the number of lesbian bars and inclusive spaces shrinking significantly.

“In our excitement to announce the launch of our new venture, our first thought was to let those in the community we envisioned would be the core clientele know we were building something for them,” they wrote on Thursday 16. “In hindsight our communication was clumsy and very poorly worded.

“We can see the issue with using the song name as inspiration for what was expected to be a predominately gay venue. We have taken the time to see from the perspective of others in our community, and see that we appeared arrogant & selfish, for that, we are sorry.”

The pair promised to “move forward with not only a new name but also a renewed and broadened perspective and sensitivity towards the views and needs of our wider community”.