+34
A newly opened bar in Washington, D.C., called 'Political Pattie's,' was forced to remove a Republican elephant symbol from its building after facing criticism from the local community. The owners, Andrew Benbow and Sydney Bradford, stated that they realized the symbol was 'hurtful to the community' and removed both the GOP elephant and the Democratic donkey logo before their grand opening.
A newly opened politics-themed bar in Washington, D.C., was forced to remove a GOP political symbol from its building after facing community backlash. The bar, called 'Political Pattie's,' reportedly angered some locals by featuring a GOP elephant, along with a Democratic donkey, as part of its logo painted on the front of the building.
Locals attacked the bar on social media, saying a business with the GOP symbol wouldn't be welcome in an area surrounded by gay bars, according to The Washingtonian. Just before its grand opening on Tuesday, 'Political Pattie's' removed both party symbols, saying they realized the 'red elephant' symbol 'was hurtful to the community.' 'Soon after our logo was painted on our building’s facade, we realized that the representation of the red elephant was hurtful to the community,' owners Andrew Benbow and Sydney Bradford wrote in a statement posted on social media. 'And out of respect, we decided to change the logo, removing both the donkey and the elephant.' WASHINGTON, DC, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SUGGESTS BUSINESSES GO CASHLESS TO COMBAT CRIME Benbow and Bradford are a couple who are on opposite sides of the political aisle, though both are supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. They were surprised by the backlash to the bar, saying they had hoped it would encourage discourse and 'promote unity,' according to Roll Call. The co-owners said in the statement they intend to keep the bar's original name and repaint the word 'Political' in larger blue letters 'to balance out' the red door and window. They also defended the bar's bipartisan theme and said they had been unfairly judged by critics. 'Political Pattie’s aims to be a fun, inclusive space that pokes fun at politics, not the pain politics often causes,' the couple said. 'We view the online backlash that we’ve recently received to be mean spirited, especially considering our original and continued intent to be a space that is welcoming to ALL people, including members of the LGBTQ community. We do not tolerate homophobia, transphobia, racism or any other form of bigotry. As Black Americans, anything else would be antithetical to our very existence,' they continued. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE The co-owners also reiterated their right to run the business in this location and said the backlash was emblematic of society's rush to judgment. 'What has been happening online to Pattie’s directly resembles what happens in society daily. Our business was judged by its outside appearance before anyone ever took the chance to learn what we were about on the inside. All too often racial minorities, members of the disabled and LGBTQ communities, and others are victims of these sorts of prejudgments, which can lead to tragic outcomes,' the statement continued.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Scratch the next story
Politics Bar Backlash Symbol Community
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
GOP governor reveals why he ordered schools to bar transgender athletes from girls sportsIdaho Gov. Brad Little elaborated Friday on his new executive order to protect women's sports in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
Read more »
Trump’s ties to far-right activist alarm GOP: From the Politics DeskFormer President Trump was asked about his association with far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer. Trump called her a 'free spirit' and a supporter of his campaign.
Read more »
Trump visits crypto-themed bar in NYCFormer President Trump paid a visit to a Manhattan bar that’s geared toward cryptocurrency on Wednesday evening as he continued on the campaign trail.
Read more »
House GOP puts NY Rep. Tom Suozzi in its sights, backs young GOP challenger Mike LiPetriToday's Video Headlines: 9/19/24
Read more »
Owner of NYC crypto-themed bar talks Trump's visit: 'Incredibly kind and generous'PubKey co-owner Thomas Pacchia detailed his encounter with the former president and how cryptocurrency could be impacted by the results of the election.
Read more »
Washington, D.C., political bar takes down Republican symbol after fierce backlashA newly opened politically-themed bar in. Washington, D.C., faced community backlash for featuring a GOP symbol, along with a Democratic symbol, as part of its logo.
Read more »