Baltimore’s Drinkery has re-opened. (Photo by Steve Charing)

Just two weeks after the Baltimore City Board of Liquor License Commissioners voted 2-1 to close The Drinkery, a gay bar in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, the decision was reversed on June 2.

Those protesting the license renewal at the hearing on May 19 complained about alleged rowdiness, excessive noise, drug activity and violence in and around the establishment, which has operated for 44 years. This was presented through a signed petition; letters sent to the board by residents, nearby businesses and local politicians; and testimony at the hearing.

Commissioners Dana Peterson Moore and Albert J. Matricciani had voted not to renew The Drinkery’s liquor license; Aaron Greenfield voted for renewal.

In declaring her vote then, Moore stated, “What matters are the facts” and cited “contempt by the owner toward the community.”

However, it was Moore who reversed her decision on June 2 following a motion for reconsideration by The Drinkery’s 87-year-old owner Frederick Allen.

According to the Baltimore Sun, “Allen’s motion noted that Jason Curtis, who signed a petition and testified against the Drinkery in the May 19 hearing, is listed on the liquor license of another Mount Vernon establishment, Hotel Indigo. The board’s rules specify that a protest against a license renewal can be signed by “residents, commercial tenants (who are not holders or applicants for a liquor license), or real estate owners in the immediate vicinity of the licensed place of business.”

The Sun stated that Curtis’ failure to disclose his liquor license was sufficient to change the board’s mind. Curtis, who was the former president of the Mount Vernon-Belvedere Association that led the effort to prevent The Drinkery’s license renewal and in 2012 ran unsuccessfully to be the first openly gay man to be elected to the City Council, did not respond to a request from the Blade for comment.

The Community Law Center, which represented the MVBA in its efforts against The Drinkery, could appeal the decision, according to the Sun.

News of the reversal was welcomed by many in Baltimore’s LGBT community. “This is a great day for an inclusive Mount Vernon, Mark McLaurin, a Baltimore resident and a frequent patron of The Drinkery, told the Blade. “Special thanks to Commissioners Moore and Greenfield for being willing to reconsider a hastily reached decision.”

Another customer, RJ Ladd, lamented the loss of gay bars in Baltimore. “I’m glad that the liquor board reconsidered the matter. Our gay bars are a dying breed. Let’s keep the remaining few around,” he said.

The Drinkery re-opened on Saturday at 11 a.m. to much relief and jubilance by its patrons.

However, there had been considerable disquiet and finger pointing following the initial vote to close the bar. Community members were angry that three gay men testified to close the longtime gay establishment.

“The gay men who organized the efforts to close The Drinkery created a lot discord and distrust in the community,” activist Brian Gaither told the Blade. “To get their way they exploited anti-gay prejudice in a way that undermines decades of work by activists in the city. The whole thing is shameful and appalling.”

In a statement dated June 6, the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association explained the rationale for their protest of the license renewal.