Insurance Company Refuses to Cover Houston Lesbian Bar Due to Texas Anti-Drag Legislation

A lesbian bar owner is speaking out on the business impact of anti-LGBTQ legislation in Texas. In an Instagram post, Julie Mabry, owner of Houston's Pearl Bar, recounted a recent experience where an unnamed insurance underwriter declined to insure her establishment because they host drag shows.

"Insurance companies have to take in the 'risk' of a business, and apparently, a lesbian bar is so much of a risk that the insurance companies are trying to deny us," Mabry said in the post.

Pearl Bar is a popular lesbian bar in Houston that hosts drag shows, drag bingo, and more. Mabry said that the venue paid more than $300k in sales and Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission taxes alone, making it a significant revenue generator for the state. However, despite being a 21+ club, the bar is still facing discrimination from insurance companies.

"We are just a little ole’ lesbian bar that hosts drag shows, drag bingo & so on," she said. "So why are they already denying us if we are a 21+ club? BECAUSE THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IS SPREADING HATE!"

The Pearl Bar owner cited recent legislation in Texas that targets drag performances as the reason for the underwriter's hesitancy.  She warned that this sort of legislation could ultimately lead to the revocation of the venue's alcohol license, which would greatly impact her business and others like it.

But this situation is not unique to Texas. Tennessee led the way with drag bans that threaten LGBTQ-owned business, and most recently, musical artists like Hayley Kiyoko have been threatened with legal action for including drag artists in their acts while performing in the state.

Pearl Bar's owner encourages celebrities and everyday individuals alike to speak out against the bans on drag shows and to support LGBTQ+ businesses.