Marsha's South Street, a gay sports bar in Philadelphia, will close its doors this weekend after members of the LGBTQIA+ community accused the establishment of transphobia, misogyny, and various microaggressions. The closure comes just before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, which is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Instead of hosting a celebration for the tournament, the bar will hold a final farewell event.
Black queer bar owner Chivonn Anderson announced the decision on Thursday via the bar's Instagram page. "It is with heavy hearts that we have decided to close Marsha’s doors for good," Anderson wrote. She stated that the business had loved serving the community and maintained that the city still needs more women, queer, and BIPOC-owned businesses. Anderson invited regulars and supporters to visit the bar Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for a final gathering before it shuts down permanently.
The path to closure began in April when Olivia Rhodes, a Black trans manager and bartender, posted on Instagram that the workplace was hostile. Rhodes stated that despite claiming to be a queer safe space, the environment did not reflect that identity. She alleged that the bar's general manager, identified as Rylan, told staff that nonbinary queer people were "overly emotional" and "too sensitive." Rhodes also claimed Rylan suggested hiring more men because the bar needed "more testosterone." Rhodes charged that Marsha's has a long history of misogyny and racism that conflicts with its claimed queer identity.
Other former workers supported these claims. A biracial, bisexual woman who previously worked at the venue said she was treated poorly. An employee also posted on Reddit alleging that the head chef misgendered staff members. That same Reddit user described the bar as actively not a queer space, characterizing it at best as a venue for cis white lesbians to observe the few minorities who visit, and at worst as a straight sports bar marketed vaguely as lesbian-adjacent. The user wrote that the establishment "must be liquidated."
In September, Anderson attempted to address the growing criticism with an Instagram post during the WNBA playoffs. She claimed the staff had received training on biased language and microaggressions and that the bar enforced a zero-tolerance policy against hate and bias. Anderson stated that the business had worked with restorative justice practitioners in the community who held them accountable. "We have done the work, and we want to keep growing," she wrote.
Despite these efforts to retain customers and staff, the allegations persisted through the fall. With the WNBA Finals approaching, Anderson decided to end operations rather than continue under what she described as serious allegations from the community she sought to serve.