Popular LA Gay Bar Precinct Warns It’s Weeks From Closing After Lawsuit

Precinct DTLA — the downtown gay bar that has long been a lifeline for queer nights out — announced this week that a lawsuit could force it to close. Filed on May 16 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the suit comes from former employee Jessica Gonzales and accuses the bar and several managers of discrimination, wrongful termination, and assault, according to the Los Angeles Times. Precinct has called these allegations “completely false.”

Precinct’s fight is playing out against a broader problem. Queer nightlife in L.A. and nationwide has contracted in recent years, and longtime venues have folded as economic pressure, shifting social habits, and regulatory crackdowns take effect. Now, Precinct is facing a legal battle that may result in the closure of the longtime hotspot.

A former employee at Precinct is suing the bar. 

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Gonzales, who worked at Precinct for roughly eight years as a cashier and coat-check attendant, alleges in the complaint obtained by the Los Angeles Times that the job grew increasingly unsafe and exploitative after new management took over. She says she was required to staff the coat check during a weekly underwear/jockstrap party without pay after the bar eliminated the fee — a change she says was meant to “incentivize more patrons to drop their pants.”

Gonzales also claims that when she complained about patrons and employees having sex on the premises, an owner told her to “stop complaining,” and that a workplace scuffle over a stress ball led to two broken fingers.

The Precinct is fighting back against the claims.

Precinct’s owners and management have pushed back hard. In a July Instagram statement, the team warned they’re “a couple of slow weekends away” from shutting down for good. “Like many small businesses, we’ve taken hit after hit — from COVID-19 shutdowns and ICE raids to citywide curfews and the ongoing decline of nightlife,” the post read. “But what we’re facing now is even more devastating. We’re currently fighting a lawsuit from a former employee — one that names the bar, the owner, and members of our management team.”

The Precinct has since moved to rally its community. The venue initially urged patrons, saying “Buy a drink. Order some food. Tip the staff. Show up,” before launching a GoFundMe campaign after supporters asked how to help from afar. The bar set a $70,000 goal, and organizers reported tens of thousands raised within days, according to Metro Weekly.

For many regulars, losing a place like Precinct would mean more than a bar closing — it would be losing a community anchor. “Precinct is one of the more welcoming LGBTQIA+ places in LA,” said Wilson C., a bar patron, in an interview with the Los Angeles Blade. “It attracts a different, more diverse crowd than what I’ve seen in [West Hollywood], and it’s been easy for me to go out on a random night and have a good time.”

Meanwhile, the complaint remains active in L.A. Superior Court, and the parties are heading into discovery and pretrial processes. There has been no public settlement or court judgment to date.

How can nightlife venues balance safety for employees with maintaining a fun environment?

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