Because It’s the LAW, Dammit!
Victoria, Texas, is right down the road from me and I hitch-hike down there several times a year to attend Democratic events because they have a very active and great Democratic Party involving some of my favorite people.
So, when the Cactus Canyon Club of Victoria, Texas, made the news for not allowing Justin Meyer and his boyfriend James Douglas to dance together, I was about to learn a whole mess of new stuff that I never knew before. When Justin and James tried to dance, the owner busted a gut.
Instead, they were confronted by the owner who told them they were not allowed to dance because they were men and due to unspecified ‘security reasons.’
‘He told me they have a policy that states that they don’t allow males to dance with males to country songs,’ Douglas recalled to KAVU-TV. ‘I said, “Just country?” and he said, “yes.”’
Now see, I didn’t know that. Men can dance with men to anything except country music. Oh, come on, admit it – you didn’t know that either.
And neither did real Texas men.
Photograph of cowboys dancing to a fiddle at the Bar S Ranch which was located in Reagan and Irion Counties out in west Texas. A wagon and building stand in the background.
Maybe James and Justin need some big ole hats and some chaps.
The owner of the Cactus Canyon Club made another observation about social mores and norms …
Gearhart also added that while women have long been allowed to take it to the floor together in clubs around the country, the same does not necessarily applies to men.
I dunno why that is. I truly don’t. Must have something to do with ta-tas and really insecure men.
James and Justin. Major security threat.
Thanks to my friend Kary for the picture of the cowboys having a gay ole time.
You can shoot each other but can’t dance with each other. Got it!
(What year is this again?)
1Insecure, boy howdy! Won’t y’all have fun watching the falling dominoes of state marriage laws come tumbling into the stew of marriage equality? After Utah, the writing is on the wall. Yee-hah!
2Oh yeah, they’re dangerous looking.
3Face. Palm. And bubbly stomach—because of the never-ending stupid and homophobia.
JJ–thanks for the shout out on the Victoria Dems! Yeah, we’re real proud to make the news here in the states and even across the pond in London…
We’re pretty backward here. Sad thing is, many think that this is the way it has to be, but I am here to tell you there is a whole butt load of folks who are fed up with the red regime in this county and in this state and we are committed to Turning Victoria Blue and assisting in Turning Texas Blue!
Looking forward to seeing you on the 4th!
4What sort of test did owner dude pass to earn a liquor license? Serving liquor to armed patrons, good. Two men dancing, bad. He needs to be educated with all of Juanita Jean’s “Fun with Guns” columns for a better perspective on the mixing guns and alcohol.
5Oh Good Grief.
This guy’s so insecure in his own masculinity, I bet he can’t even undress in front of himself.
6Look closely at the photo.Many old-time real honest-to-goodness horse cowboys and not a gun of any kind in sight.
7That photo of old cowboys is sumthin’, isn’t it. I’d never seen one like it. I doubt anyone would have anything to say about who’s dancing with whom back then, not if they didn’t want to be missing a couple of teeth or get a black eye.
8I’m torn on this one. Dancing isn’t mentioned as a right in the Constitution,but,otoh I have never found the word guns in there either. If boorish behavior is banned,then why do so many wingnuts prance around drunk pulling weapons?I’ll have to wait for official word from Duck DieNasty’s new legal rep and she won’t even have to read this to opine about it.
9Lordy, men can’t dance together? Does that include those tons of men in the old Busby Berkley films wearing tuxedos and carrying fancy shmancy walking sticks? I’ve seen plenty of old Hollywood musicals where men were dancing with each other, maybe not cheek to cheek, but certainly as a duo. And those Highland fling days they have in certain parts of the south each summer . . . what about that when 2 lads in plaid hook arms and dance?
10Jehosophat!!!!!
They should have known it would be illegal to dance to country songs. Yeah right…….
11Is it okay for two men to dance together at the Cactus Canyon Club if one or both of them are dressed as women? I still don’t think that would be a good requirement, but it might indicate how stupid the other one is.
How about if they dance to this country song? Can’t get much more country than Willie Nelson, can you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajTNlooZKE
12Doubt that we need the Wolverine from Wasilla to explain social etiquette to us. My wife’s sister recently married her special lady love of many years. As a matter of respect and acceptance, we have accompanied them to several of their favorite clubs. We’ve had a great time and met some wonderful people. So, it’s difficult to understand why anyone would choose to hate someone ever, much less before they even meet them. The gals even picked up the bar tab for me, the night a dude asked me to dance. Without hesitation and based on my experience of how I preferred to be rejected by the ladies when I was single, thanked him nicely, but explained I was with my wife.
Yes, if at an ethnic wedding, would dance with the men in honor of their group custom. Just don’t ask me to wear a toga or a kilt, please.
13Maggie: My favorite “Busby Berkley” type dance scene is in the film, “Blazing Saddles”.
14Somehow, all the cowboys come crashing onto
the set where Dom Deluise is attempting to direct a Busby dance scene and mayhem ensues. Sounds like the Cactus Canyon Club needs a little ‘diversity invasion’ its ownself.
A law against men dancing to country music?
Lucky for the owner of the Cactus Canyon Club, there’s no law stating stupid people have to be quick on their feet.
15I take the Cactus Canyon Club doesn’t host many Orthodox Jewish weddings…
16This is so much ado about nothing.
There are pictures in my dear wife’s wedding album of our nieces dancing with the family border collie as well as my f-in-law dancing with my dad. My mom danced with my wife’s grand mom. For gosh sake sometimes a dance is just a dance, like Sigmund’s cigars.
17Oh, yeah, easy for allayew liebruls to cast aspersions on that good ol’ haterosekshul bar owner. It’s a public safety issue, dammit; when you’re “swingin” the little lady (all 104#, 39-20-32, blonde, blue-eyed and HAWT of her) there’s really no problem if you lose your grip and fling her into the crowd–who’s gonna complain? Otoh, iff’n it’s a MAN who winds up in Cletus’ lap I can see some sadface happnin. So, there’s that.
And that picture? Well there WARNT no GAYZ afore the Kennedy Administration.
18AH, one of my fav images that is firmly planted in this challenged brain is that of the International Gay Rodeo Association’s Annual Ball which is held at their Finals each year.
19The site of over 500 Cowboys two stepping together in their best duds, Hat’s and feet perfectly synced after a day of stiff competition…..
The old photograph reminded me of the stories my father, who was born in 1890, used to tell. He built ranch houses in west Texas during the 1920’s , before he married my mother, and often lived in the bunkhouses with the ranch hands. Women were not numerous in that setting, and the men would play the fiddle or accordion and dance. My father learned the polka and some square dancing during
20those years of his life. No one thought anything about the men dancing with one another. And there were very likely some gay relationships among them.