Written by DCist contributor Christopher Durocher

BeBar, the newest gay bar in D.C., opened its doors to the public last week. Though there may be nothing remarkable about another gay bar in the city (especially for the heterosexual set), Be Bar’s story is part of a larger story of ongoing gentrification in the city and the conflict it’s creating in a number of neighborhoods.

For over six months, BeBar’s owners have faced vocal opposition from members of a church community in Shaw, where the bar is located. The struggle may represent the growing tension between new residents and entrepreneurs on one side, who see opportunity and progress in relocating and opening new businesses in revitalized neighborhoods, and longtime residents and community members on the other, who feel a powerful force pushing them out or leaving them behind. Then again, maybe its just a feud between a gay friendly business and a church whose pastor openly opposes homosexuality and worries that a gay bar will have a deleterious effect on the moral fiber of the community.

At the center of the story are BeBar owners Michael Watson and Tom McGuire and the pastor of Scripture Cathedral Baptist Church, Bishop C.L. Long, and his congregation. Watson and McGuire wanted to open a gay friendly bar. Long and his congregation saw the bar as a threat to the character of their neighborhood and fought its efforts to obtain a liquor license. It’s disputed whether the church and its allies opposed BeBar out of a desire to prevent the opening of any new bar in the neighborhood or, more nefariously, a desire to prevent the opening of a bar that welcomes everyone, but, with its candy-themed martinis and gay friendly atmosphere, caters to men looking for a possible love connection with other male patrons.