A recently-opened LGBTQ+ cocktail bar on the outskirts of Manchester’s Gay Village fell victim to an act of vandalism at the weekend.
Red Light, located at Kampus, opened in May and promises guests a 'laid-back lounge' atmosphere full of queer art and a vast cocktail menu. Whilst it is tailored towards the LGBTQ+ community, owner Deana Ferguson says it is open to anyone.
Deana, who was a recent finalist at the Manchester Bar Awards and has spent eight years working in Manchester’s hospitality scene, took to social media on Wednesday to share details of an incident which took place at the venue on Saturday (July 1).
Join our FREE LGBTQ+ WhatsApp group by clicking here
Alongside pieces of art situated around the venue, Red Light also features signs depicting fun and cheeky messages around the bar and in the toilets. On Saturday, one guest damaged a sign, which said ‘It’s Queer Up North’, by removing one of the vinyl letters.
The venue said on Instagram: “We wanted to address a recent incident that has deeply impacted us here at Red Light Bar. Our beloved signage featuring the phrase "It's Queer Up North" was vandalised.
“This act of targeted vandalism has surprised our community and bar staff, but we want you all to know that we remain steadfast in our commitment to being an all-inclusive LGBTQ+ and straight-friendly bar.”
Speaking to the M.E.N today (July 6), Deana said she feels the incident was deliberate due to the nature of the material used on the signs.
“The signs in the toilets are quite a big Instagram feature and people like to go in there and take selfies because they look good,” Deana explained. “On Saturday night, someone came in and peeled one of the letters off one of the signs. It’s vinyl stuck to the wall so it’d take a good bit of time to scrape it off, so it does feel like it was intentional. We’re devastated about it, to be honest.”
People were quick to take to social media to show their support for the venue, with one person posting: "I'm so sorry to hear this. People are weird! More power to ya." Another wrote: "Doesn’t matter if they wanna try to tear us down, Ueer still gonna be Queer."
Some even suggested the replaced sign is even bigger than it was originally. One person said: "Yeah I totally think the Q should be bigger, glittery, 100 x camper, 100 x gayer Q to replace the old one!."
Deana said she has since bought new vinyls and is hoping to replace the vandalism in the next few days. It’s not the only thing she has planned for the venue this week either.
Posting on Instagram, she said the bar will soon be unveiling a new cocktail that will raise money for a LGBTQ+ charity.
“A lot of people try to jump on the Pride bandwagon, but we firmly believe that Pride is not just once a month, it’s a year-long effort. We were already in talks to do something like this but this has just led us to get it sorted sooner, we’re aiming to have the cocktail ready for the weekend.
“We’re hoping that we can bring the community closer together and make the best out of this situation.”
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features
