Sean Dorsey Dance D.C. Debut Honors LGBT Elders

Last month, it was announced through social media that the Rendezvous would be closing temporarily, citing renovations to the space after the bar was acquired by new management. This left many performers angry, as they had only found out about their performances being canceled through the post. However, the bar's former booking director spoke to the SGN about what went on behind the scenes after the new ownership took over, highlighting some troubling aspects and red flags.

The Rendezvous, a bar and social club in Belltown, is home to a plethora of Queer community events, including meetups, film nights, and, of course, live performances. It is noted for being an affordable venue and a safe space for beginning performers and veterans alike.

Morgue Anne, a burlesque performer and the Thursday/Friday DJ at Neighbours (who used to perform with the late and great Roxy Doll), served as the booking director at the Rendezvous for the past three years, utilizing her role to highlight the Queer community and provide employment opportunities to various Queer performers.

She describes to the SGN the events of June and July, when staff were informed that the bar had been sold. Despite the new owners reassuring everyone that they would keep their jobs and that the transition would be as smooth as possible, according to Anne, what followed was a lack of communication and broken promises. In mid-August, when the paperwork transferring ownership was being signed, Anne was informed that the bar would be closed for a week. Afterward, she contacted performers who had shows scheduled that week to let them know that they were canceled — only to find out that the bar was going to be closed even longer, following a conversation with the current general manager and the new owner.

“I put them all in a group chat and said, ‘Hey guys, what’s going on?’” said Anne. “Suddenly, someone was able to produce a screenshot of an email that said, ‘Great, we’re going to be closed this day,’ and that was indicative of how difficult it was to get information…"

“I was told we were going to continue operating as usual, and so … I was working under [that] assumption, but when I came into work that first Monday, after everything had been signed, [the new owner] was very confused to see me and called me later to let me know that I didn’t have a job there anymore, and kind of implied that it was weird for me to assume I still did.”

According to Anne, she was not the only one let go in this way, as she knows two bar staff employees who were told they were staying on, only to be fired through a phone call.

We asked Anne what direction she believed the business would go. She stated that she wasn’t entirely sure — in every conversation with the new owner, it seemed he had a new and different plan. She said that she does not see the bar maintaining the Queer vibe it once had, based on her interactions with the few people she met.

As more Queer third spaces close, there are concerns that the new owners will abandon the Queer community for a wealthier clientele in this age of gentrification affecting various at-risk communities and minority groups.

The Rendezvous did not respond to the SGN’s request for comment on Anne's dismissal and the bar's new ownership as of press time.

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