Political Pattie’s started to go viral before the U Street bar even had a chance to officially announce its opening. Online commenters mocked the idea of another political bar in DC. They took issue with the logo on the front of the building that included a GOP elephant (along with a Democratic donkey). And they questioned how the place would fit into a neighborhood full of gay bars.
Yesterday, shortly after its opening, the “sports bar of political affairs” dropped the elephant and donkey from its logo and painted over “Political” part of their name on the building’s front sign.
“Soon after our logo was painted on our building’s facade, we realized that the representation of the red elephant was hurtful to the community,” owners Andrew Benbow and Sydney Bradford said in a written statement to Washingtonian. “And out of respect, we decided to change the logo, removing both the donkey and the elephant.”
Wait…but what about the gavels?@PoPville @WashProbs pic.twitter.com/B37IJ9aXP3
— alex barbieri (@abarbieri3) September 24, 2024
Benbow and Bradford are both native Washingtonians with extensive experience in government. Benbow is a retired Army Reserve officer and lawyer with experience in various federal agencies, while Bradford is an attorney who has worked in a number of civil service agencies. She’s a Democrat, and he’s a Republican (though he told the Washington Post he’s a moderate voting for Kamala Harris.)
“We view the online backlash that we’ve recently received to be mean spirited, especially considering our original and continued intent to be a space that is welcoming to ALL people, including members of the LGBTQ community. We do not tolerate homophobia, transphobia, racism or any other form of bigotry. As Black Americans, anything else would be antithetical to our very existence,” the couple wrote in their statement.
The owners also say the social media criticism is actually proof that Washington needed a space to welcome differing opinions: “What has been happening online to Pattie’s directly resembles what happens in society daily. Our business was judged by its outside appearance before anyone ever took the chance to learn what we were about on the inside.”
Political Pattie’s does plan to keep “Political” in its name despite initially painting over it. In fact, they plan to make the word even larger and paint it in blue to contrast with the red doors. They also plan to keep the political vibe of the place, including cocktails like the “Fillibuster Fizz” and the “Gerrymander Martini” as well as gavels on every table.
“Political Pattie’s aims to be a fun, inclusive space that pokes fun at politics, not the pain politics often causes,” the owners stated. “Pattie’s will continue to strive to do better. And we charge you to do the same.”
