BY: Jasmine Franklin
Published 6 hours ago
A Sydney nightclub borrowed Chappell Roan’s queer anthem, but excluded the singer’s message! “Pink Pony Club,” which celebrates self-discovery and belonging, has become a staple in LGBTQIA+ spaces. So when a new Sydney-based nightclub adopted the same name, fans expected a venue that shared that same spirit of inclusion. Instead, the club’s preferred marketing choices told a different story.
Sydney Nightclub Owner Missed the Mark
The owners, Kevin Du-Val and Michael Lewis, of the newly opened venue said they wanted to bring Roan’s world to life. However, they missed the mark when explaining who their preferred demographic was.
The Sydney nightclub will “unashamedly be targeted at the boys, pretty much 18 to 35, and of course there’ll be overlapping above that, just as there is underlap at Palms [with] under 35s”, Lewis explained to Gay Sydney News.
But that description quickly raised questions about who exactly “belonged” inside. What began as a tribute to queer joy turned into a conversation about who gets to represent it. By narrowing the clientele so explicitly, the venue blurred that difference rather than honoring the inclusive vision Roan laid out. In doing so, they missed the mark on what the song stood for.
Gay Spaces Versus Queer Spaces
True queer spaces invite all identities. Gay spaces, in contrast, often serve mostly cis gay men. By saying the venue would target predominantly young gay men, they narrowed a concept that should have been inclusive. They treated the space as if gay male identity equals queer identity, overlooking the vibrant spectrum of lesbian, trans, non-binary, and gender-fluid experiences.
That framing contradicts the ethos of Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” which originally cast a wider net on the lyrics: “Where boys and girls can all be queens every single day.”
The song springs from a lesbian perspective and cultivates a space of belonging beyond cis gay men. By aligning the club exclusively with young gay men, the owners erased that nuance and created a gate-kept version of queer space.
Why the Name?—Is ‘Pink Pony Club’ a Gay Anthem?
“Pink Pony Club’s” mix of longing, liberation, and neon-lit fantasy resonated across the queer community. It became a cultural touchstone for many, especially those who saw themselves in its message of coming home to self-acceptance.
That’s why naming the space after the track felt like a natural fit. Du-Val and Lewis saw it as a “gay anthem” and wanted to create a venue that mirrored its energy.
“[The name has] got very broad appeal across both gays and lesbians, in terms of being a safe space and a venue where people can be themselves and express who they are,” Lewis said to the outlet.
Calling it a “gay anthem” overlooked Roan’s own identity as a lesbian and erased the broader inclusivity at the heart of her work.
An Apology to the Community
After days of mounting criticism, the owners issued a public apology via the nightclub’s Instagram page. They acknowledged that their wording around a “preferred clientele” sent the wrong message and that exclusion was never their intent. The statement also confirmed that the venue will undergo a rebrand and no longer use the “Pink Pony Club” name.
Some believe the gesture shows accountability, while others say it reveals how easily queer art can be commercialized without care.
As for Roan, she hasn’t publicly commented on the controversy. But her song continues to echo what the club briefly forgot. That the “Pink Pony Club” was meant for everyone.
