Worcester Business Journal

20 Worcester Business Journal | June 24, 2024 | wbjournal.com establishments has heightened the need for safety. e 2016 shooting at Orlando nightclub Pulse, which le 49 people dead, and the 2022 shooting at the Col- orado Springs nightclub Club Q, which le five people dead, motivated Guinette to install more than a dozen security cameras throughout the MB. Finding someone determined to keep the MB a safe refuge is at the top of Guinette's list for picking his successor. He has several people looking to buy the bar from him, he said, but he's taking his time and plans to keep a minority share. Cultivating safety ough e Woo is not marketed as a gay establishment, Pittsley wants his restaurant to be a place where everyone could come together. "We'll have a table of LGBTQs over here, and then sitting right next to him, we have a family of eight; and they're laughing and they're joking with each other," Pittsley said."We have a huge Democrat and Republican following at e Woo, and I think it's just amazing that these hardcore people are still ac- cepting of our business. I think because we were so open about it." e Woo hosts Pride events, along with events for local nonprofits. Pittsley encourages his staff to get involved, which integrates his employees with the Continued from previous page PHOTO | EDD COTE Marco Guinette installed security cameras at the MB Lounge in the wake of the mass shoot- ings at Oralndo nightclub Pulse and Colorado Springs nightclub Club Q. community and his customers. e right staff is important in making the MB as safe as possible, Guinette said. He makes sure his doormen and bartenders are aware of the interactions taking place within the MB and taking note of who is coming in the door. "If you watch what's coming in your house, then you know you've got a safe house. If you don't let the burglar in, you can't get robbed. If you don't let the mosquitoes in, you can't get bit," he said. When the wrong people slip through the cracks, Guinette feels that standing up for his LGBTQ+ patrons is a non-ne- gotiable. Even if customers don't say anything, they're moved by how his staff treats those with bigoted beliefs. "If you step up, some people will learn from that and some people won't. Some people will be ignorant and walk out, and that's fine, because I don't want you in here if you're like that anyway," he said. Doing the legwork When it comes to fostering an LGBTQ+ safe space, Spring of Femme said the majority of that lies in the be- liefs of business owners: How they feel about the queer community is going to permeate through everything else. "Whatever [owners] feel, it's going to show up in their space. So if this space doesn't feel comfortable, it's because they're not comfortable with us," said Spring. For business owners looking to better support their LGBTQ+ clientele and more loudly broadcast themselves as a safe space, Pittsley said they should in- vest in community outreach to get their name known, such as attending Pride events, sponsoring local sports leagues, or supporting nonprofits. Staff need to be educated on the pillars of tolerance and acceptance, Bel- lerose said. People oen have misguided beliefs of what it means to be gay, or trans, or non-binary. "Everybody's there to spend money. Everybody's there to have an enjoyable dinner or a drink or buy clothing or wherever they're going. Just because you're dressed a certain way or you're gay doesn't mean that you're any dif- ferent than the person who is not," said Bellerose. W

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