ENCOUNTER

at

OLLIE'S

Wednesday evening Nov. 10th, I in- vited some friends to Ollie's to play Bingo. I had also gone to Ollie's to find out about signing a contract for a BLN New Year's party in Radcliffe Hall. We were informed by the bouncer that lie was not there.

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At the bingo intermission, a group of us (six black women) decided to go in- to the bar to play a video game. As we walked in the bar, two white women pre- ceded us. The bouncer asked our group, not the two white women, "Do you have your ID's?" We told her we did and pro-

ceeded into the other room.

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My friends started playing the vid- eo game, and I watched. I turned my head when I heard the bouncer speaking rudely to one of my friends. The bounc- er said to her, "I don't like your at- titude. Do you have an ID?" The bounc- er repeated "say yes, do you have your ID?" In an attempt to diffuse the hos- tility directed at my friend, I gestured for all of us in the group to answer the question. We all said "yes" simultane- ously. The bouncer got more hostile and in a very demeaning way demanded, "I want the truth, I want the truth!" this point, I said "What do you want from us? We said we have our ID's. You want us to swear on a f------ Bible?" The bouncer started hollering at me "Get out of here, get out of here--you're barred from here for one week!" My re- sponse was, "Why not make it a lifetime?" She told me she was going to call the police. The bartender walked over to us and I asked both of them to call Ollie, because she knew me and I thought she might add some reason to the situation. Although the bartender also knows me, she did not attempt to stop the bouncer

from calling the police. The bartender explained that ID's were required in or- der to protect their license and that they have had problems with people threatening them with knives and guns. I asked her if she thought we were guil- ty of carrying knives and guns. Her re- sponse was "no." At this point, I de-

cided it was fruitless to remain where we were not wanted, so we all walked out- side together.

We stopped out on the sidewalk and were met by another member of our Bingo party, who insisted that we go back in, but we all agreed it was important to do something then. So we went in the bar, When and looked around for the bouncer. we didn't see her, we approached the bar- tender and asked her again to call Ollie, so that we could get this mess straight. The bartender did call Ollie. We were told that Ollie could not come down at this time. She told the bartender to tell us that everyone was required to show ID's (NOTE: At no time were any of us asked to actually show our iden- tification). At this point, I was told that there were two police cars out front.

We went to speak to the bouncer and one of us said to her that we would like The to go over what had just happened. woman who had initially been singled out and badgered by the bouncer spoke first. She explained she had eaten dinner in the bar prior to the whole incident and therefore thought the bouncer was joking when she had asked her if she had an ID. Then the bouncer spoke and said she had approached the woman in a pleasant way and only wanted to know if she had an ID.

cont'd pg.4

A Celebration of Women's Voices Swingshift Danica

Alternative Measures

The San Francisco Lesbian Chorus

FRIDAY, DEC. 17th 8PM

MCKENNA THEATER

San Francisco State University

$6 & $5

For Information:

SF: 285-0572

EB: 548-6263

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