Gay Club Claims Buttigieg Fundraiser Canceled Over Their 'Dancer Pole'

Dark Lady, a popular gay club in Providence, Rhode Island, has claimed that Pete Buttigieg’s campaign canceled a fundraising event there at the very last minute after they refused to remove a pole from the dance floor.

Mayor Pete’s husband, Chasten, was slated to headline the fundraiser, but it’s unclear whether he ever came to the venue. Members of the campaign staff who arrived ahead of the event allegedly expressed concerns about the “dancing pole” and asked for it to be taken out.

“It’s been here since we opened and it’s not going anywhere,” the club’s general manager Asprinio told WPRI.

“We had sent pictures of the club, they knew exactly what the place looked like. We thought the fundraiser was going forward at full force.”

Instead, Asprinio says, 20 minutes before the event was supposed to start, Pete’s campaign began directing people to the Hotel Providence instead.

“Unfortunately we had to relocate this evening’s event,” campaign spokesperson Tess Whittlesey said, declining to deny Asprinio’s account. “We are grateful to the enthusiastic and dedicated supporters that joined us tonight in Providence.”

The event had been widely anticipated by people in the city, whose mayor has even endorsed Buttigieg’s run for president. To see it moved to a “straight” venue seemed confusing for a lot of people, and reports of the decision having to do with a stripper pole being deemed “inappropriate” seems to further the disconnect between Buttigieg and a large portion of the LGBTQ community.

“To be an openly gay candidate for president, I would think they would want to show support for their own community,” Asprinio said.