A gay bar in New York City suffered substantial damage from a suspected arson attack over the weekend and is appealing for information to identify the perpetrator. Two people were injured.
Rash, which opened five months ago in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, shared details of the event on Instagram.
“Last night before the party started, someone came into our bar, poured gasoline on the floor causing an explosion that set the bar in flames,” the bar posted on Tuesday. “He was wearing a dark hoodie and a backpack and immediately ran from the scene. Everyone inside made it out, but two people were brought to the hospital and are in stable condition.”
“We still don’t know what to make of this cruel act of violence,” the statement says. “In only five short months we were privileged to become home to such a talented and vital community of artists.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“It breaks our hearts that anyone would seek to threaten that for any reason.”
View this post on Instagram
The statement continues: “At this time we haven’t identified the suspect or any motives but we’re working closely with the authorities to investigate. If anyone has any information that might be useful in the investigation, please share it with us directly (email and DMs are open).
“We launched a Gofundme page to support everyone directly affected, our staff who will be out of work for the foreseeable future, and eventually the repair of the space. You can find the link in our bio.
“We love you, and we will come back from this.”
A police investigation is ongoing.
Don't forget to share:
Chrisk
Only in a gay bar would someone feel comfortable enough to just casually pour gasoline on the floor and sander out. Anywhere else he wouldn’t of made it out the door before getting his ass beat to an inch of his life.
barryaksarben
Bullshit. similar things have happened in “straight” bars where people died and the perps have walked out and not been harmed. Stop trying to make us look weak asshole. no one goes out expecting anything like this to happen – straight or gay
Gay Thomas
“Last night before the party started…” It appears it happened before they opened/got busy.
Reading compreshension.
ShiningSex
you sound stupid
Kangol2
Horrific but totally in keeping with the way things are trending all over the US because of right-wing rhetoric and bills and the complete breakdown Don the Con left us with in 2020!
DHT
Whenever I see something like this happen I automatically think it is retaliation against drug dealers and the drug crowd for predatory drugging
barryaksarben
WHAT THE F**K! No drugs were mentioned. Maybe just maybe it was a sick homophobe who have a violent history against gay bars. I can name a dozen times gay bars were targeted for NO reason other than it being a gay bar. There is a hell of lot more predatory drugging in STRAIGHT bars where young women have to resort to extreme measures to avoid being date-drugged and raped. Your comment is so stupid in its hate Im gagged not in a good way so put away you tiny tiny dick troll
DHT
Predatory drugging is so rampant that gay bars are no longer safe spaces for young gay men. Gay bars are vile places that allow drug dealers and the drug crowd in and unless a young gay man is using with them they will have nothing to do with him. For a predator it is like shooting fish in a barrell. The bars could keep the dealers out, they choose not too. Ot is a public health crisis.
Mack
Sounds like another right wing dipshit who trolls on here under numerous names.
Toofie
Someone’s playing with cut and paste with his comments…
Gay Thomas
We desperately need a block button for these trashy POS trolls. Come on Queerty.
Den
“Whenever I see something like this happen I automatically think it is retaliation against drug dealers and the drug crowd for predatory drugging”
Whenever I see comments like yours, I automatically know it is some stupid heterosexual scumbag coming here to insult gay men. And your further comments support hat knowledge. We don’t want scum like you here, and hope you meet the same end you wish on others!
CatholicXXX
It was probably the same guy that burned down Matthew camps house, Matthew camp.
these places need to start employing bouncers.
IanHunter
I think it was MTG. However, I don’t think she would wear a disguise.
Todd.Brooklyn
wouldn’t pout it past her
DHT
@barryaksarben. Predatory drugging is so rampant that gay bars are no longer safe spaces for young gay men. Gay bars are vile places that allow drug dealers and the drug crowd in and unless a young gay man is using with them they will have nothing to do with him. For a predator it is like shooting fish in a barrel. The bars could keep the dealers out, they choose not too. It is a public health crisis but I would bet you are already aware of this.
Todd.Brooklyn
Just an FYI – While this is horrible and I hope the perpetrator gets caught quickly, Rash is not a Gay Bar. It is an Artist sort of hipster place and while LGBTQ friendly doesn’t identify as a gay bar. The only publication identifying it as such is this one. It remains massively wrong and we will have to see after the investigation and apprehension but it would seem and since there have a been a rash of stupid actions like this here including a McDonalds and a couple other street areas – my money is, it is not a hate crime, rather a horrible action by a sick individual.
Max
that person would definitely be devoid of proper mental functions and also lacking in any decent morals.
DHT
I agree with, sounds like revenge. It wouldn’t be the first time dealers have put our lives in jeopardy. And the arguments that basically state that straight men are predators too are as about as disgusting an example of toxic masculinity as it gets.
Kangol2
You’re probably right that this publication may be one of the only ones identifying it as a “gay bar,” but local and national TV stations have reported it as LGBTQ-friendly and as a gay bar too, I believe, so I think this impression of the bar is circulating in the mainstream media. I do hope they catch the perpetrator and question him on his motives, something that seems to happen too rarely in a lot of the bizarre crimes happening these days, but I wouldn’t be surprised if all the anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and discourse out there played a role in his arson attack.
jt1990
Here’s an idea: hire a bouncer or two, just like the regular bars. There’s plenty of large muscular felons fresh out of prison looking for work here in Florida. Many are former FSU football players, and can’t gain employment due to their thug status. If the club is frequented by cross dressers, you might even convince these gentlemen to accept a couple free meals in place of an hourly wage.
ShiningSex
you sound stupid. go home.