An image posted to the Bridge Club website Credit: Screenshot
The Bridge Club, a Winooski gay bar, has officially closed its doors, just about five months after it opened to much fanfare — and controversy — under the name Mister Sister.

Owner Craig McGaughan changed the name in June after coming under pressure from some in Vermont’s LGBTQ community, members of which slammed the name Mister Sister as a transphobic slur. Despite the branding shakeup, the place was shuttered earlier this month during a failed GoFundMe campaign to raise capital.

“FAKE SOCIAL JUSTICE TERRORISTS PUT US OUT OF BUSINESS,” reads a message on the bar’s website. The story on the GoFundMe page — which raised nearly $2,000 of a $100,000 goal — reads, “Unfortunately, we’re permanently closed.” And the business’ Facebook page, where McGaughan frequently got into heated discussions with commenters, appears to have been deleted as well.

McGaughan, who is gay, announced in February that he planned to close his wine bar, Oak45, and reopen it as Mister Sister. Another gay bar in the area, Burlington’s 135 Pearl, closed in 2006.

Outside the Bridge Club Credit: Mark Davis
But the name irked some locals, including Aedan Buchanan, a Burlington resident who identifies as a trans male.

“If you want to claim that your bar is inclusive to every member of the LGBTQ community, but you want to ignore the voices of the ‘T’ in that acronym, that’s not inclusivity,” Buchanan said when the controversy erupted in February.

The place was dark Monday, and no tables or chairs were visible inside the establishment.

McGaughan could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

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Sasha Goldstein is Seven Days' deputy news editor.

10 replies on “Winooski Gay Bar Once Known as Mister Sister Has Closed”

  1. This is a sad saga. How hard was it to say “Oh my goodness, I had no idea that was a slur in the trans community. Can you help me think of a new name?” Even if you think the point the critics are making is dumb, it’s a good business decision not to unnecessarily offend your customer base.

  2. It was a cute, funny and memorable name. This wasn’t the headquarters for extremist Christians or homophobes, context matters and it is okay to have a sense of humor and flip slurs into a joke. I love my gay friends for many reasons, having a well-developed sense of humor to fight back against the close-minded hate has worked just brilliantly and advanced the cause of civil rights for all.

    So now the political correctness police have won, and a respected businessperson has lost. But who really has lost? All of us, but the political correct police can huddle over their righteous indignation and cheer their victory over the solitude of an empty space formerly filled with laughter and community.

  3. Craig was his own worst enemy, playing into the drama on Facebook, etc. Even those who supported him in the argument got tired of the drama.

    That being said, it was an unfortunate, totally manufactured and petty issue put forth by a group of angry, militant transexuals hopped up on hormones and ginned up outrage who are continually looking for a reason to be offended and play the victim. Well, congratulations to them. They, with the help of the Pride Center, got what they wanted, they closed him down. I’m sure that they must be proud of themselves.

  5. The Pride Center and a few social justice warriors, ever on the look-out for even the slightest hint of offense, got what they wanted. They managed through their never-ending outrage to get our only gay bar in years closed down. I wonder if the so-called “Pride” Center is proud of the good day’s work they have done. But remember, this “Pride” Center: I am gay, and you do not speak for me, and I will never again support you in word or donation. Ever.

  6. Folks fighting against what they believe to be hurtful and unjust will always be perceived as “militant” by those who are not oppressed in the same way or by those who benefit from their oppression. There is no LGBT without the T. If trans folks felt hurt by the name it is no one else’s role to tell them that they are not or should not be hurt by it. None of us are free until we are all free. Stop name calling and start supporting trans folks who need it most.

  8. The Oracle, if we are going to point fingers, with Craig McGaughan. Literally nothing Craig did helped it stay open.

    If anyone is considering opening an LGBT space, might I suggest you learn from Craig’s mistakes and:

    * DON”T be transphobic
    * DON”T name the space a trans slur
    * DON’T use your Facebook page to publicly attack individual community members
    * DON’T shun the community you are economically dependent on and tell them to f***k off
    * DON’T threaten them individually on public forums when they voice opinions you don’t like
    * DON’T use your business’ platform as a bully pullpit
    * DON’T ask the same community that you keep offending to not only come to your bar but to DONATE to keep it open – we all know a good business model runs on donations
    * DON’T be an a**hole to everyone and anyone you come in contact with for the fun of it

    Some of this could be applied more generally than just LGBT spaces. Craig really f***ed up.

  9. It’s possible Craig was just trying to see if he could enact a modern, real version of “The Producers”

    No one does that many stupid things and WANTS the business to succeed.

  10. Glad to see transphobia alive and well in the comments here. “Hopped up on hormones.” Wow. I wonder why trans folks didn’t want to go to the bar? It’s not like the people supporting it have said hateful and hurtful things like that since the beginning. Oh wait…

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