Despite unique reputation, bar welcomes any crowd

By LEESA STEPHENS
Collegian Staff Writer

Dedicated Penn Staters will proudly boast their patronage of every drinking establishment in State College, but there's one bar that does not often make it onto the bar tour T-shirts.

Chumleys, located between The Corner Room and Player's Sports Bar, is relatively inconspicuous, yet its reputation is well circulated.

"I've heard it's a gay bar," said Tom Lindbloom (freshman-religious studies). But maybe this is not quite the case.

A manager of Chumleys, 108 W. College Ave., said it was not set up to be a gay bar and no one who works there is gay.

"The 'Pride' flag outside is to symbolize that we're not hostile to (gay people). The meaning behind the rainbow colors is diversity and tolerance -- all the different colors of the rainbow existing side by side," the manager said.

But when regulars were asked if they would prefer if Chumleys were exclusively run by and for gay people, the answer was "no," said Bob Melius, a local organic orchardist.

"Absolutely not. It's a bar. Everyone that goes to bars is expressing their sexuality in one way or another, gay or straight," he said. "If we try too hard to label other people, we end up entrapping ourselves in our own labels and restricting our own freedom. If we have common ground, we can have a great time. We should approach one another as human beings, not labels and categories."

Sitting at the bar, listening to the haunting lyrics of Portishead, it is hard to believe the stigma attached to Chumleys. It is a small bar with a television, fish tank and chess tables. The crowd is diverse and friendly.

"It's like 'Cheers' only not on TV," the manager said.

Yet, only two months ago, the manager was attacked by three men who broke his nose because they thought he was gay.

"There's a lot of hatred around. People harrass me, shout 'Faggot' and other obscenities through the door," the manager said.

The manager said he thinks the gay population in State College gets a bad deal.

"It's like any minority -- they get shit on for no reason," he said.

Melius agreed, saying "to go into any other bar in State College and be openly flamboyant about my sexuality is to court danger."

"I still walk out the door every day knowing that there's some part of my personality that I have to suppress," he said.

When asked what sort of people Chumleys would like to attract, the manager said they welcome anyone 21 or older. He explained that the bar's gay image came from the fact that it used to be patronized by all gay men.

"They felt it was their bar. That's not how it should be. The image has changed slowly since then. We're getting more open-minded people now," he said. "If you're open-minded and cool about the whole thing it's not a problem. It's not a big deal."

The manager emphasized that "tolerance" is the key word and that Chumleys is no different from a regular neighborhood bar.

"There's no live entertainment or anything. We're open seven days a week," he said.