An owner of a gay bar in El Paso, Texas, has come under fire for attending Donald Trump’s recent rally in his city.
Johnny Alcantar, one of five owners of The Old Plantation (known as the OP), not only took in the event but posted photos on his Instagram with other Trump supporters next to a Trump banner.
Alcantar has since deleted the post, but not before it was screen captured.
A local drag queen and DJ, Puto Kahlo, noticed the post and shared it via social media saying he was “disgusted.”
In his Facebook post, Kahlo wrote, “Y’all, straight people are the first to try to profit off of our community and our art but won’t hesitate to support a man who has called trans people burdens, hasn’t done shit for community but try to erase us, degraded women, and perpetuated racist and xenophobic rhetoric.”
The post has been shared over 700 times at this writing.
Owner and CEO of the Old Plantation, Mark Adkins, apologized in a statement saying,”The Old Plantation Nightclub does NOT support Trump’s views or opinions especially towards our LGBTQ community.”
Adkins went on to say Alcantar is a minority stakeholder in the club and does not “represent The Old Plantation, its ownership or our community in any way.”
Additionally, the statement noted Alcantar had been spoken to about the Instagram post and “expressed his regret for posting about the rally on social media and his fundamental lack of knowledge about the ways in which Trump’s administration is working to stifle the rights of the LGBTQ community, as well as the rights of others in the greater El Paso community.”
The CEO closed his message saying, “It’s very easy to forget how to express and show love and respect when politicians, including our own president, are spreading division through their words and policies. We have faith, however, that love will always win.”
Local news station KTSM spoke with Alcantar who said he only attended the rally to see a sitting president.
"It was never my intention to hurt anyone," Alcantar told KTSM. "I didn't know the stuff that Trump was passing."
"I don't agree with everything that Donald Trump says," he added, "But I have to support our President because he's our current president; I don't have any other choice."
Alcantar also mentioned he “has gay friends and family members.”
Some members of the El Paso LGBTQ community are calling for a boycott of the club, which recently reopened after years of being shuttered.
What do you think, readers?
Is it plausible a straight man who invested in a gay bar in Texas had no inkling of Donald Trump’s attacks on the LGBTQ community?
Should the local community hold the bar responsible for a “minority stakeholder” attending a Trump rally?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
(h/t KTSM, Facebook)
Even though it’s been a couple of years. To those who criticize the OLD NEW OP. The Actions of a unworthy partial owner which he SUCKED. Never had to do with Mark Adkins. (FYI) So if the new old OP went down the drain was only thanks to them.🖕🖕🖕🖕only 1 word Abusers.👅
Damn. To bad you nearly has
Damn. To bad you nearly has new customers
I find it hilarious people
I find it hilarious people blame Trump for hate. When this shits been happening before we were born. It's a free country if you don't like who he/she supports oh well, move on.
Break up with your trick. I’m
Break up with your trick. I’m bored!
More and more gays and
More and more gays and transgenders are Trump supporters, but the Anti Trumpians tend to be louder and VERY EXTREMELY MEAN AND ANGERY! Trump's allover Approval is up to 53% now,,, VERY HIGH despite all the negativity . We love you Trump
educate yourself please. You
educate yourself please. You sound like trump
but the Anti Trumpians tend
You know what it means when you bold and italicize on the internet, right?
Please do tell, I do not see
Please do tell, I do not see any of the attacks the president has made into policy against any citizens. This article talks but says nothing. Name the attacks please! IMO, the only mistake is that this businessman apologized. As a business owner he should be happy with this president. There are many in LGBT, black, hispanic etc that are happy with this president. Mob rule is so disgusting. Only those who believe they are victims act like they are victims. People who are and/or want to be successful are waking up.
Marilyn
Marilyn
The problem with you trump supporters is that y’all think that by being trump supporters you automatically become white (aka mr alcantar) or part of the 1%. I strongly doubt that he gave you a 75% tax cut. You silly little bird. The president has no interest in you or the part owner of the OP. But henny you keep on living you’re delusional dream. Well see how far you got with this presidency.
i said good day
Oh Marilyn
Oh Marilyn
keep being a puppet. You and ur “business” will flourish with that ignorance.
Yes I believe you are right
Yes I believe you are right because I think his business will flourish. They're millions and millions of us Trump supporters of all kinds out here. WOO HOO ,Around 50% approval of blacks and Latinos, Overall approval is 53% now and we are gaining more gays and transgender everyday. Many people refuse to believe the lies about Trump and his supporters anymore. WE ARE AWOKE and we are walking away from hate, racism , bigotry, [my friends that have walked away have been called every nasty racist and bigoted name in the book by the [Blackfaced DemoKKKcrats] The left started the KKK and they haven't changed. #walkaway Love instead of hate. #walkawaycampaign
Lol let’s talk when you get a
Lol let’s talk when you get a 75% tax cut. Haha
Let’s grab marilyn by the p**
Let’s grab marilyn by the p***y…
Yeah, just saying “grab them
Yeah, just saying "grab them by the p@$$&" is a lot worse than sticking a cigar in one or sexually assaulting and raping women huh.. idiot.
Boycott. Boycott. Boycott
Boycott. Boycott. Boycott
APPARENTLY THE PERSON
APPARENTLY THE PERSON SUPPORTED TRUMP OUT OF IGNORANCE TO WHAT HE DOES TO THE COMMUNITY
Don't punish the bar. Get together some friends and collect enough money to buy out the menorah t partner who is straight and dumb
Alcantar’s, as well as the OP
Alcantar's, as well as the OP owners excuse/justification doesn't make sense nor does it even come close to atoning for the horrible message that was sent by a business that is suppose to support the LGBTQ community of El Paso and all of the rights that are deserved as citizens of our community and nation. The trump/GOP has been working hard to roll back advances made toward our equal rights as well as coming up with new ones to further push our LGBTQ brothers and sisters back into the closet. There is no way even the most intellectually challenged person didn't know the views that the racist, sexist, elitist, treasonous criminal, lying pig of a con man who resides in the White House, as well as his supporters hold regarding the LGBTQ community in our nation. His apology of convenience does nothing to erase the harm he did, on behalf of the OP to our community by attending and then posting the photo that he did. While I don't want to see any business downtown fail, there is no way I will ever spend a dime at the OP. I am asking that ALL LGBTQ persons as well as our allies take this same stance. We have power of the purse, and it may be the only way we can have our voice heard. This trump/GOP administration has waged war against our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and we don't have the luxury of sitting back and doing nothing. ABSOLUTELY BOYCOTT and send the message to all business owners that your gay $$$$$ will only support businesses that not only say they support the LGBTQ community, but also show that support in their actions. Mr. Alcantar's actions went way beyond sincere ignorance and sent out a very damaging message, nationally, about our community to the nation. BOYCOTT!!!!!
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER TRULY FRIENDLY GAY BAR OPTIONS IN EL PASO.
I WILL NEVER SPEND A DIME AT THE NEW BIGOTTED O.P. !!!!!!
Ah yes, the typical “tolerant
Ah yes, the typical "tolerant" liberals: totally open & accepting of everyone! ….just as long as your thoughts & politics exactly match theirs! Today's leftists and democrats are such easily-triggered, overly-offended snowflakes, it makes me sick *smh*
Amen. Apparently I’m a bad
Amen. Apparently I'm a bad gay man because I like Chick Filet and Cracker Barrel. So I'll dance in El Paso,eat damn good food and enjoy life. Y'all have fun being crotchety. Gays used to be fun. Now they're just angry bores looking for fights. Life is hard enough….stop inventing problems.
EATING AT CHICK-FIL-A DOESN’T
EATING AT CHICK-FIL-A DOESN'T MAKE YOU A BAD GAME AND IT MAKES YOU A BAD PERSON.
Knowing where the money goes your snotty stuck-up has could eat elsewhere
Trash
Trash
Have several seats sister you
Have several seats sister you sound tired!
Is it not the same thing to
Is it not the same thing to exclude a LGBT for suporting thier president. There are many gay rebublicans that want smaller government and love being part of the LGBT community. Would a stright man that does bot supoort LGBT invest thier money in a gay bar if he will be attacked for his views. He is not attacking you or views he is investing in them. As gays we are so segregated by appearance we forget we should care for each other not destroy a invester in gay bar for his views.
If he’s a “minority
If he's a "minority stakeholder" the other people need to buy his share out ASAP and make it clear they don't support Trump's noxious views. Trump has targeted minorities as well so attending his rally when El Paso is 80% Latino or Hispanic (per wikipedia) is pretty dumb too. I also can't help noticing how fitting that the owner of a club named The Old Plantation supports this racist, homophobic, transphobic president.
The bar’s initial response
The bar’s initial response was idiotic and just attacked the drag queen while pretending to share “love.” The stakeholder says he is sorry but still has the Igor up proudly and has just disabled comments. He isn’t sorry. Just sorry it might hurt his wallet. The “gay friend” excuse does not justify his ignorance or his awful response that he has no choice but to support our president and go proudly to a rally to pose for pictures. It is completely justified for people to not support this bar at all. Not just for the photo but for their por response (they edited it on FB).
We vote with our dollars. There are plenty of bars and allies that are here for us. We should not support false allies. If a business that catered towards African Americans had an owner who attended a KKK rally the outcry would be extreme and justified. This is the same concept. A man who supports people who fight against us trying to profit off of us. Trump has tried to remove transgender work protections, remove transgender military men and women, appoint antigay judges, remove federal workplace protections for LGBT individuals, cut funding for HIV/AIDS research, ignore pride month… the list goes on. No one should support this tone deaf bar. El Paso has at least 5 other gay bars to patron.