St. Patt’s Day Fun

On Thursday, March 17, my friends and I went to The Rat to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. Throughout the evening, we were enjoying ourselves during the events The Rat had scheduled. For example, there were contests where girls had to show their green thongs to win a prize, another one that tried to locate the shortest person to be a leprechaun; and, finally, another one where pictures were taken of girls dancing together on a pole.
Around midnight, my friends dared me to get up on the pole and dance. As a person with few inhibitions, I chose to get up there and began to swing around the pole. I believed I was just having a little innocent fun. The next thing I knew, the DJ interrupted the music stating that The Rat has a policy that no guy can dance on the pole. He thanked me and wished me a happy St. Patty’s Day. I was quite embarrassed for being singled out in front of the entire club. My embarrassment quickly turned to anger over this form of discrimination and prejudice.
I do not see the problem with a little innocent fun. The discrimination was heterosexist and certainly implied a level of homophobia. All night, The Rat sponsored events that objectified and glorified women in what can be seen as a degrading manner. The Rat is not a strip club, but the management rewards women who behave in that sort of conduct. The instant a man begins to express sexuality in this physical manner, it is forbidden. Apparently this kind of one-way policy is considered acceptable for The Rat. My outrage is in the manner in which these actions were handled. There are certainly other situations that are not appropriate for a club and bar, such as fighting or getting sick and vomiting from too much alcohol. However, do these people get publicly embarrassed for their actions? What steps are taken to demonstrate these actions would not be tolerated?
We live in a country that is founded on the principle of freedom of choice. I admit that there are some people out there who do not share the same values that I do. It is their right to have those opinions; however, we have a choice whether or not to support those that agree with us. The Rat is an establishment that makes a lot of money from the students at this university, but it is not the only bar and club located in West Chester. So, the next time you choose to go have a drink, think about the mind-set, values, and backward thinking of who you are supporting. Chris Cromwell