Neighborhood Organization Seeks Drier Dupont Circle

Written by DCist contributor Christopher Durocher

Where’s a boy (or girl or girly boy or mannish woman or transgendered person, or anyone else for that matter) suppose to get a drink these days? It seems that organizations are coming out of the woodwork to keep D.C. residents and visitors from enjoying the beverages so crucial to the success and enjoyment of any social interaction. High profile clashes over liquor licenses have been common between local churches and gay and straight bars and clubs over the past few years, and it looks like other nosy neighbors have also been getting in on the act.

The Washington Blade reports that the Dupont Circle Citizens Association (DCCA) used a large portion of its 2005 revenues to oppose efforts by bars and restaurants to obtain liquor licenses in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, which is widely considered the center of the city’s gay culture and nightlife. Last year, the DCCA raised $41,957 through its annual tour of Dupont homes with “unique design, architecture, history, art and atrifacts.” Combined with membership dues and investment dividends the group had a total income of $53,370. In that same year, the group spent $22,563 on legal expenses to oppose various liquor license applications and support the renewal of a moratorium on new liquor licenses in the Dupont Circle area.

Over the past few years, the DCCA has gone before the D.C. Alcohol Beverage Control Board to oppose liquor license applications or renewals for a variety of establishments, including Hank’s Oyster Bar, a restaurant run by lesbian chef Jamie Leeds, as well as gay bars JR’s, Cobalt, DIK and Cada Vez.