By MASON SOTO
On the evening of Jan. 30, four Olympia residents were assaulted outside of the downtown bar Jake’s On 4th, leading to a possible hate crime charge. The bar (known locally as Jake’s) is the only gay bar in downtown Olympia.
According to reporting by The Olympian, Dwayne Houston was arrested after the incident by Olympia Police Department on suspicion of malicious harassment and other crimes (including against Washington’s hate crime laws). Police records list Jake’s address and show Houston was arrested for assault in the fourth degree.
Jace Hoag, one of the victims, told the Journal that he and three of his friends were walking along the sidewalk on 4th Avenue as Houston and others stood in the enclave outside Jake’s, where the assault happened. Houston and others shouted anti-gay and racist slurs leading up to and during the assault, according to witness reports.
At least two victims sought medical care for injuries from the attack, including a broken nose, concussion, and eye contusions.
Thurston County Superior Courts charged Houston with second-degree assault, unlawful possession of cocaine, and malicious harassment, with bail at $25,000.
As word spread of the attack, community members began sharing testimonies on social media about the most recent incident and other similar violence around the area. Bar patrons called for Jake’s and its owner Rob Cameron to be held accountable for the violence that took place, many suggesting the gay-centric branding that Jake’s utilizes contradicts the experiences of gay customers there.
Some posts were shared with hashtags like #takedownyourprideflags and #notasafespace, along with links to the bar’s Yelp page. The posts encouraged people to share their experiences on the business review website. Some posts included Cameron’s personal contact information as well.
The bar is a staple for nightlife and food in downtown Olympia, with a concession stand attached serving fried confections day and night. Large rainbow flags hang over the area directly outside the bar’s front door, close to where the assault took place. There is also a large sign displayed near the entrance that declares the establishment is a “Hate-Free Queer Bar,” welcoming only those who are not homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, or “heterophobic,” among other traits.
Many who shared opinions on social media about the incident accused owner Cameron of not doing enough to protect patrons, while vouching for most of the other staff. A public post on Facebook by Dan Evans read, “The staff at Jake’s are doing their best to maintain safety, but they are often managing hundreds of rowdy people at one time (most of which are not sober) and it is unfair of the owner Rob to burden them with the responsibility of upholding the safety that he promotes on his walls.”
In an interview with the Journal, Rob Cameron said he runs a “super safe business.” When asked whether there would be a public statement from him or Jake’s about the incident or the community’s reaction, he said, “Have you read that stuff online? How do I defend myself? I mean, most of it’s all lies.”
“I have first-hand experienced assault myself,” said Evans, who helped establish a local drag troupe named Free Range Drag last year. Beyond his own experience, he said in the ten years he’s lived here and worked within the community at places such as Stonewall Youth and Capitol City Pride, he’s heard about many instances of discrimination “both outside and inside Jake’s.”
Evans feels that attacks like this are fueled by a culture at Jake’s, which he alleges includes over-serving alcohol, prioritizing money over safety, and lack of accountability for regular instances outside the bar when first responders are called.
In 2016, news organization Seattle PI published a list based on records from the state Liquor and Cannabis Board showing where DUI offenders in Washington last drank before arrest, showing which venues are mentioned most. Jake’s ranks fifth, with 181 mentions from 2012-2016.
Another member of Free Range Drag, Kenzie Reynolds said the frequency of incidents outside Jake’s has made the responses ineffective. Comparing it to the habits of any job, they said, “You don’t really pay attention, you’re just on autopilot, and I think that’s sort of the feeling that OPD has about responding to fights or altercations outside of Jake’s, because it’s so rote and it’s so consistent.”
Many Jake’s patrons have suggested in the online posts and in interviews with the Journal that there should be more of a security presence at the bar’s entrance, like security outside The Society, another bar whose patrons often overflow onto the sidewalk surrounding the entrance.
Cameron has no plans to do so. “I don’t have fights [at my bar],” he said. There have only been regular staff since the bar opened, and Cameron said, “Thirteen years of that, no violence, you know, it works.”
Instead he said the onus of responsibility does not fall on him: “The only thing I’m guilty of is having a popular bar.” He said it is a larger problem of downtown, then suggested, “There should be more police downtown, there should be more patrol.”
Upset patrons feel the deflection of responsibility for the area surrounding Jake’s is central to how these instances occur. Evans said, “This has historically kind of saved them, that it happens directly outside of Jake’s.”
Evans said the community needs a change one way or another: “We either want responsibility, or transparency that you’re either not a gay bar, or you are a gay bar and you do what you’re supposed to do to keep the people that you’re harboring safe.”
Reynolds concurred, “Represent us well, or don’t represent us at all.”
