Gay nightclub announces new name following lesbian community outrage
A gay nightclub has announced it has a new name after being heavily criticised by the lesbian community over its previous choice.
The Australian venue was previously slammed by members of the LGBTQ+ community after taking inspiration for its name from a song by a lesbian artist.
You might be thinking, well what's wrong with that?
The problem was not so much the name, which was inspired by Chappell Roan's anthem 'Pink Pony Club', so much as who the owners wanted to target.
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Co-owner Michael Lewis told Gay Sydney News that he and the club's other co-owner, Kevin Du-Val, had wanted the club to be mainly aimed at gay men.
He said: "Of course the girls will be welcome, but it would certainly be our desire that it is predominantly gay boys, and when I say predominantly, I’m sort of talking 90 per cent plus."
And given that they had chose to name their club for gay men after a song by a lesbian singer, many were not impressed at what they saw as a song about the lesbian community being co-opted by men.
One person took to social media to explain one factor which made it an even bigger problem - even in 2025 there are relatively few venues which are specifically targeted towards queer women, and a lot more which are specifically for gay men.
They wrote: "For those wondering why it’s a problem: Do you know how many lesbian bars there are in the US? 36. Do you know how many gay bars there is? 803."
The user went on to point out that lesbians and queer women can often run into both misogyny and homophobia in gay bars - the very places where they should be able to feel most safe.
"There is an insanely bad treatment of lesbians in gay bars, so taking a lesbian song by a lesbian about the lesbian experience to open another gay bar reserved for men? It is that deep," they added.
Following the backlash the owners apologised, writing: "We would like to reiterate that all members of our community are welcome at all of our venues, there never was an intention to have a door policy of exclusion targeted at any particular group."
Now, they have also announced a new name for the club.
In a post on their Instagram page, they confirmed that the new name will be TRIBE @ 231.
The club owners wrote: "WE'RE COMING...
"TRIBE @ 231 Nightclub is set to ignite Darlinghurst Nightlife with Three Floors of High-Energy Dance Music.
"A bold new chapter in Sydney’s nightlife is about to begin. TRIBE @ 231 a nightclub created by members of the LGBTQI+ community for the LGBTQI+ community, is officially opening its doors in the heart of Darlinghurst — and it’s ready to electrify.
"Set across three immersive floors, TRIBE @ 231 will deliver a genre-smashing soundtrack of high-energy dance music, fusing underground house, techno, pop remixes, disco, and anthemic queer classics. From late-night deep house on the lower level to euphoric pop and drag performances upstairs, each level promises a unique vibe with world-class sound systems, state-of-the-art lighting and its own unique energy."
They added: "Oxford Street has always been a cultural beacon for the LGBTQI+ community. TRIBE @ 231 is our love letter to that legacy — a place to dance, connect, and celebrate queer joy in all its forms."
Kit Roberts