CC Slaughters Rejects Newlywed Grooms, Citing "No Bachelorette" Policy

By ANDREA DAMEWOOD

CC Slaughters has rejected another newlywed gay couple on Friday, this time two men in matching groom shirts and rainbow bow ties.

The couple tells WW in today's Murmurs they were rejected by the downtown gay bar on the grounds they violated the club's policy against bachelorette party attire.

The club rejected the men two days after WW's Aug. 28 story that two lesbian women were barred at the door for showing up to the Old Town gay bar in their wedding dresses after their ceremony and reception.

Roger Givens and Daniel Lawton of Salem got married Aug. 30 in Vancouver, Wash., and then headed to CC Slaughters to celebrate. Givens says the bouncer told them they weren't allowed in "because we're not allowed to marry in Oregon," Givens says.

Instead, he and Lawton went to Embers, where they were welcomed and given free admission, brought up on stage by the drag performers and given free shots. They then went to Silverado, where their matching wedding shirts were also no problem. They got free dessert at dinner, and their hotel, The Westin, gave the couple champagne and candy in their room, Givens says.

CC Slaughters' manager Kevin Hutman says that they had to reject Givens and Lawton because of the club's anti-bridesmaid party attire policy.

the policy applies to both lesbian brides and to two gay men

He says they'll continue to kick gay couples dressed in any wedding-related attire, unless the owners change the policy.

Givens says he understands that CC Slaughters wants to keep rowdy, straight bachelorette parties from flaunting a right that gay people don't have in Oregon.

"But part of me was flabbergasted that they would do that at a gay bar," he writes WW in an email. "Obviously (as the lesbian gal thought in your article) that it wasn't just lesbians being discriminated against. Also interesting that one of the owners (somewhat) apologized to them yet their bouncer keeps discriminating against us."

CC Slaughters owners John Houston and Bruce Rice have not returned multiple requests for comment.

Givens tells WW he won't be back to CC Slaughters "any time soon."

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.