Friday, March 23, 2007

Police investigate fire at Denton’s only gay bar

Investigators say fire was deliberately set; owner says she might not be able to re-open 27-year-old nightclub

By David Webb of Dallas Voice

Denton’s only gay bar was destroyed in a fire this week that fire officials have classified as an arson.

Kelly Sanders, who has owned and operated Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair on East University Drive for 13 years, said the bar was destroyed by the fire on Wednesday, March 21. The bar has operated at that location for 27 years, but it will probably not be reopened there again — if it is ever opened at all, she said.

Kelly Sanders, owner of Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair, considers her options as she sits outside the Denton nightclub destroyed by arson.

“I can’t go back to that location because it is completely destroyed,” Sanders said. “I don’t think my landlord would go to all of the trouble to get it back up to code.”

Sanders said the fire started about 5:30 a.m. after someone broke into the bar’s back door. Fire officials told her the arsonists spent a long time using crowbars or some other tool to break into the heavy door, she said.

After breaking in, the intruders vandalized the bar before setting multiple fires, Sanders said.

“I think they used my Grey Goose vodka to set the fires,” she said. “That’s what really pisses me off.”

Sanders said the vandals broke into the juke box and video machines, tore up the cash register, threw chairs around and tore up everything else they could.

“They pretty much destroyed everything in the bar before they started the fires,” Sanders said.

Sanders said she was unsure whether anti-gay graffiti was left behind because of the fire.

“If they had you wouldn’t know it because it is burned to a crisp,” Sanders said. “There is nothing left.”

But Denton Fire Marshal Rick Jones said there was no evidence to suggest that the fire was a hate crime because there was nothing painted on the outside or the inside of the bar. If anything had been painted inside it would have still been detected by investigators, he said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was called into assist with the investigation, he said.

Jones said he believes the fire was either started in attempt to cover up the burglary or to destroy the bar.

Authorities want to find and punish the people who are responsible for the fire, especially if any evidence is uncovered that shows the fire was motivated by hate, Jones said.

“We’re not going to put up with that in our community,” Jones said.

Sanders said there had been other break-ins in the past, but none that left significant damage. There had not been any break-ins in the past couple of years, she said.

Sanders said the only harassment she had ever experienced happened years ago and only involved people driving by and screaming names and paintballing. There had not been any threats recently, she said.

Sanders said she would like to reopen the bar, but she is unsure if she will be able to do that.

“I don’t really know at this point,” Sanders said. “I would really like to reopen because Denton is a big enough town that it really needs a gay bar. And I think the community can support it.

“I’m very curious what is going to happen to my patrons. This was their safe, secure place.”

Sanders said she needs more time to come to terms with what has happened before she makes any decisions.

“I’m sure it will hit me in a day or two, but right now I’m just in shock,” Sanders said.

Pegasus News content partner - Dallas Voice, the community newspaper for gay & lesbian Dallas.

Related stories

• Denton’s only gay bar close to reopening (July 4, 2008)

See more stories in:

• Fires
• Gay / Lesbian

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