Mar 31, 2006  |  By: LOU CHIBBARO J  | COMMENTS     

Another minister has declared his opposition to a proposed gay-owned bar in the District's Shaw neighborhood, saying it would "undermine the moral character" of the community.

In a March 27 letter to the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the D.C. Black Church Initiative, said a liquor license for Be Bar at 1318 9th St., NW, would "send the wrong message to children and families."

Evans' letter to ABRA came after Bishop C.L. Long, pastor of the nearby scripture Cathedral Baptist Church, called for the Shaw Advisory Neighborhood Commission, ANC 2C, to oppose the Be Bar license at a March 8 meeting. Long has characterized homosexuality as a biblical curse in church sermons.

The ANC voted 3-1 during the same meeting to file a protest against the license. Among those voting to file the protest against the bar was ANC 2C chair Leroy Thorpe Jr., a longtime opponent of gay rights.

Although the ANC 2C protest does not mention that Be Bar would be operating as a gay establishment, ANC 2C member Alexander Padro, who is gay and who voted against the protest, said he believes the opposition is based at least in part on the assumption that the bar would cater to a gay clientele.

"Given Mr. Thorpe's well-known views on gay issues, I would not be surprised if anti-gay bias played a role in this," Padro said.

The building where Be Bar plans to open is located within the boundaries of ANC 2F. That ANC has been working cooperatively with Be Bar to develop a voluntary agreement that would prevent the bar from causing neighborhood problems such as noise and trash troubles, said ANC 2C Commissioner Christopher Dyer, who is gay.

Dyer said his ANC expects to reach an agreement with Be Bar in the next few weeks and expects his ANC to support the bar's license application.

"I would definitely say most people in the surrounding neighborhood have no problem with this bar opening," said Dyer.

Padro said Thorpe and the other two commissioners who voted to oppose the Be Bar license in ANC 2C have voted to support liquor licenses of other bars located less than a block away from scripture Cathedral.

He said Thorpe pushed through a resolution opposing a proposed gay sports bar on New York Avenue, near the Eagle, an existing gay bar, in 2002. According to Padro, ANC 2C commissioners opposing that bar cited its intended gay clientele as their reason for the opposition. The bar's owners withdrew their plans to open the establishment, Padro said.

Thorpe did not return calls by press time.

'Raw, naked hatred'

In a telephone interview, Rev. Evans said that while he strongly opposes "the homosexual lifestyle," he believes gays should not be subjected to discrimination.

"But we also reserve the right, on an individual case basis, to oppose any move in this city and across this country, which we think is inconsistent with the character of communities," Evans said.

"I suggested they open that bar in Ward 3," he said. "That's a wonderful area in which to open that bar. But not in the Shaw community where there is a solid family situation, a solid church situation in the community that has existed for hundreds of years."

Evans said he would not object to a gay bar opening in areas like New York's Greenwich Village, where he said there is a "defined gay community."

"But in this case, I know why they are doing it," Evans said. "They are doing it simply because they feel that they can do it and that they can go anywhere. And we say no, you cannot go anywhere in this city."

D.C. gay activist Phil Pannell, who has worked with church leaders in his role as a Ward 8 community activist, called Evans' comments a form of "raw, naked hatred."

"This kind of thing must be opposed," Pannell said.

Pannell said Evans has the reputation of exaggerating his influence and the number of churches or religious leaders he represents. In his letter to ABRA, Evans said the D.C. Black Church Initiative consists of a coalition of 800 churches.

When told that some believe he has overstated the number of churches he represents, Evans calls such an assertion "a moral lie."

In their application for a liquor license, Be Bar co-owners Michael Watson, Tom McGuire and Christopher Zimmerman said they plan to operate as a tavern and provide a small space for dancing. The establishment ...