McGinley's protests protests

Posted on Fri, 21 August 2009 by Mel Green

Protesting Mayor Sullivan's veto of AO 64

A friend sent along a copy of this press release from McGinley’s:

McGinley’s says Sullivan is only 10% owner, upset at Prop 64 protests

HIGHWATER, LLC, d/b/a/ McGinley’s Pub
Contact: Jack Lewis, Managing Partner
Phone: 907-444-3791
Web site: www.mcginleyspub.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MCGINLEY’S PUB SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT
OWNERSHIP AFTER RECENT DISRUPTION
Mayor Sullivan Only One Owner and Minority Shareholder of Pub

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, Aug. 21, 2009 – Recently McGinley’s Pub, a local downtown restaurant and bar, has found itself as the attack point of a political controversy. On Monday, Aug. 17, a group of protestors caused major disruptions at the pub by picketing and blocking the entrance to patrons in response to the veto of a contentious ordinance by Mayor Dan Sullivan. News reports consistently note that Mayor Sullivan is the owner of McGinley’s Pub, but he is merely one owner and a minority shareholder.

McGinley’s Pub was established in 2006 and is owned by Highwater, LLC, which contains multiple owners. Mayor Sullivan is a 10 percent owner – a minority shareholder within the LLC. All the owners within the LLC come from various backgrounds and have diverse political philosophies. The political opinions of one owner do not reflect the opinions of the McGinley’s Pub as a whole.

“McGinley’s is a non-political establishment, an equal opportunity employer and a good corporate citizen. We [the owners] felt that based on the unruly actions of a few and slightly flawed media reports, that it was time to set the record straight,” McGinley’s Pub Managing Partner Jack Lewis said. “The pub enjoys a great cross section of Anchorage and the visiting population alike. It’s a great place to meet with friends and family to have fun.”

“We’d be happy to invite those picketers in for a Guiness and show them how the Irish mend their differences,” Lewis concludes.

Three points:
  1. Does McGinley’s include sexual orientation and gender identity as part of their “equal opportunity employer” official policy?
  2. LGBT people are “only 10%” of the population. It’s not actually an insignificant proportion — nor is Mr. Sullivan’s 10% minority ownership.
  3. In the words of the editor of Bent Alaska, “They can mend their differences by signing the Equality Works statement in support of the ordinance.”
Yep, that’ll work better than a Guinness for me.  Until then, I’ll buy my stout elsewhere.

* * *

It’s unclear at this point of McGinley’s is aware that a protest will be occurring there tonight.  As for the protest last Monday night, at the time I was present (until about 6:45) protesters had gone to McGinley’s once, and I saw no blocking of the entrance or “unruly” activity then.  Can’t speak for what may have gone on in the 45 minutes that the protest reportedly continued after I left (at which point protesters were in front of the Kaladi’s at the PAC, a block away from McGinley’s). — In any case, I hope that protesters tonight will remain peaceful and stay within the law — as they did during the entire time I was there on Monday.

I would like to note a couple of other things: first, that in anything I’ve posted about McGinley’s, I’ve always identified Mayor Sullivan as part owner of the establishment; second, that while I initiated a lot of the publicity for this protest (including posting it as an event on Facebook and at the LGBT meetup group), & will be present at the protest, I’m not actually its originator.  My info is that it’s been kicking around as an idea for a week or so, until another friend of mine posted on it today.
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