Adelaide Venue Name Change Provokes Accusations Of Transphobia

A rebranded venue in Adelaide is facing a storm of controversy in the wake of unveiling its new name, with accusations of racism and transphobia being levelled against its organisers on social media this week.

The club formerly known as Tijuana Showgirls — now Go Go Lady Boy — has faced an onslaught of criticism over the name change, with dissenting parties claiming the switch is not only tantamount to cultural appropriation but outright fetishising transgender individuals and minimising their experiences.

Among the condemnation are comments describing the rebrand as "truly awful", "transphobic bullshit", "racist", "incredibly offensive", "horrible", "shameful" and "disgusting".

"Treating someone's culture and identity as a fetishised stereotyped theme IS racist," one commenter wrote in response to the assertion that themed bars should not be equated with racism. "Especially where the exploitation is for the purpose of profit/making money that doesn't benefit the minority group itself."

"This is a horrible rebrand," wrote another. "Trans people experience such high rates of violence and generally have such a hard time. This promo adds to the idea that they aren't real people — that a trans woman is a 'lady boy' or a freak. My trans friends are human like everyone else. I liked coming before but won't again and will encourage my friends to give you a miss.

"I strongly encourage you to retract this rebrand and go with something else — you could consider 'Go Go Bar' or something along the full moon party lines."

However, the new name is not without its defenders, with most citing the existence of similarly named or presented bars and clubs that have also felt the sting of controversy.

"Geez, you better not have ever visited Mr Kim's, Little Miss Mexico, Little Miss Miami, Tijuana Showgirls, Poof Doof or any strip club in Adelaide, you probably think they're all discriminatory and culturally inappropriate too," wrote one commenter. 

"How is it unethical when it's promoting an aspect of a country that celebrates and prides itself on its transgender culture? It sounds like great fun," he continued.

"[Lady boy] is the acceptable term for transgender in Thai culture, just as transgender is in Australia," another supporter offered. "By labelling what is a Thai culturally accepted norm as wrong in a venue that is trying to capture an aspect of that cutlure… I'm sorry but it's not this bar being discriminatory, phobic or prejudiced.

"Furthermore, since so many of you who are complaining about this should be informed enough to know how much violence and segregation transgender people in our country are subjected to, it's ironic you are finding the term lady boy, used in a culture where trans people are vastly more accepted and celebrated, offensive. Shouldn't you think it's a great name?"

However, as Flinders University associate professor Damien Riggs explained to Rip It Up, the rebrand "treats people who identify as lady boys as a cultural artefact open to appropriation, which ignores the significant risks experienced by transgender people more broadly".

"Specific risks to lady boys include involvement in sex for pay — and hence potential HIV transmission — in addition to violence from both fellow Thai people and from tourists," he said. "Arguably, both names reflect a culture of misogyny, in which female bodies are seen as objects."

Go Go Lady Boy has not responded publicly to the criticism, and organisers declined to comment when approached by theMusic. The venue will re-open on Friday.