The Oxford Hotel Responds To Harbour City Bears’ Venue Change

The Oxford Hotel has publicly responded to the Harbour City Bears’ decision to relocate their regular events from the hotel after members alleged they felt unwelcome at the venue.

“We are incredibly proud to have sponsored the Harbour City Bears since 2017, first at one of our other venues and more recently at the Oxford,” the Universal Hotels-owned bar wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday 4 November.

“We are sorry to hear some reports that some members of the Harbour City Bears feel less and less welcome at our venue. No doubt we’ve made some mistakes along the way, but overall our relationship has been and remains a positive one.

“There have been some comments online that our venue or some of our staff have been homophobic, or had homophobic policies in place. No doubt we’ve made some mistakes (we’re human); however, we must emphatically and unequivocally deny any suggestion of homophobia.

“We absolutely do not discourage physical expressions of intimacy; or discourage people from expressing themselves through dress (or lack thereof!). If any of our staff members have ever done this, we are truly sorry; however it is absolutely not a reflection of our values or of who we are.”

The Oxford Hotel concluded by wishing the long-running community group well on their next chapter.

A spokesperson for the Oxford Hotel contacted the Star Observer following the post with an additional comment.

“I understand that what is being referred to was a one off – and deeply regrettable – interaction some time ago between a new staff member and members of the Harbour City Bears,” they said.

“The interaction was most certainly not inspired by homophobia, but rather a complete misunderstanding by a new staff member (for whom English is a second language) of the hotel’s policies. Further training was put in place, and multiple offers were made by the staff member to apologise in person. I think it’s completely obvious to anyone who actually frequents the venue that it is in no way homophobic – actually the polar opposite.

“Again, the venue wishes the Harbour City Bears all the best into the future with their new sponsor venue.”

“Clear we needed to find a new home”, said president

The HCB’s decision to move was detailed in email sent to members, sighted by the Star Observer, which explained that the move to Kings Cross followed months of feedback from members who “felt less welcome at The Oxford”, with the group’s committee noting a decline in attendance.

“Earlier this year, The Oxford also informed us that they did not wish to host us for Mardi Gras night, preferring to cater to the general public instead,” the committee wrote. “That made it clear we needed to find a new home that truly valued our community.”

HCB President Scott Ridley said the hotel’s management anticipated lower bar revenue from the group as many of its members were taking part in the parade, and would prefer to save the space for the public.

“Over time, a lot of our members started to feel that the atmosphere there wasn’t as community-focused as it once was,” he told Star Observer. “People told us they felt less welcome and that the venue wasn’t really interested in our group beyond the bar spend.”

Ridley said members had shared a range of experiences that contributed to this feeling, including “being asked to tone down displays of affection or to adjust their clothing,” and “a few instances where interactions with staff left patrons feeling judged or unwelcome.”

He also cited technical issues and rising prices as factors that made the venue feel less inclusive, saying there was “a general sense that the venue was not especially engaged with promoting or acknowledging our event.”

“We’re really grateful to The Oxford for the years we spent there,” Ridley said. “But moving to the Kings Cross Hotel feels like a great new chapter as the team there has been genuinely enthusiastic and welcoming.”

The HCB’s  final ‘Furry Fridays’ event at the venue will be Friday 21 November, with the first Kings Cross edition taking place a week later on 28 November.