Open Door Policy at Hamburger Mary’s

Being able to open all the street-facing doors was once a perk of the Wilton Manors location, now it’s a form of protest. In this week’s Out South Florida, online now and on stands Thursday, I look at how the LGBTQ+ community pillar is standing up to Gov. Ron DeSantis and his enablers. For a time this year, those doors were shut due to a law passed by the Republican-Fascists in Tallahassee, labeling drag as ‘adult.’ Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando challenged the law and a federal judge put it on hold while it wends its way through the courts. You can see the practical effect at their Wilton Manors location: open doors for anyone passing by to see. Christina Donohue, general manager of the Wilton location, told me, “It’s been so refreshing to be able to open the doors. We were keeping them open for a little bit but then had to close them for the drag shows.” As anyone paying attention knows, laws like Don’t Say Gay, restricting trans health, and attacking drag are all solutions in search of a problem. Donohue says they were always aware of young people in the audience. “My queens catered to the audience. If they saw young children, they did the show the way they needed to because there were young kids in the audience. They always read the room very well.” It is imperative other businesses, municipalities, and citizens follow Hamburger Mary’s example. Stand up at every turn, every roadblock, every bigoted action. #Queer Up Out South Florida
Heaven On Earth, A LIVE Storytelling Event, is Around The Corner