Dreadnought pub staff make lighthearted joke out of offensive graffiti

Staff at a pub in Edinburgh have decided to turn offensive graffiti found on its walls into something a little more amusing for customers.
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The Dreadnought, in 72 N Fort Street, Leith, had 'Gayz Onley' (sic) sprayed onto the side of its walls during a targeted vandalism attack.

But, rather than letting it get to them, the staff decided to make light of the situation by adding a new 'Gayz Onley' sign above the entrance to the property.

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The tongue-in-cheek sign is also a nod to Pride month, which the pub’s staff and customers are celebrating with its one-week-only pop-up Pride bar this week.

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Speaking about the new sign, manager Róisín Thérèse said: “We are proud of our diverse community, staff and customers and wanted to show solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community and to do something visible for Pride month.

"We're extremely happy with the positive response and looking forward to a really fun week and raising money for the Equality Network.”

The Dreadnought in 72 N Fort St, Leith, Edinburgh, with its new sign above the door.The Dreadnought in 72 N Fort St, Leith, Edinburgh, with its new sign above the door.
The Dreadnought in 72 N Fort St, Leith, Edinburgh, with its new sign above the door.

The Dreadnought team posted a message on social media alerting customers to the sign and its pop-up bar, which has since gained thousands of shares.

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The message added: "[This week] We'll be celebrating diversity, having a laugh and raising money for The Equality Network, with the help of some fantastic breweries.

"In the meantime, although the name may suggest exclusivity, we're as inclusive as we've always been. Our policy has always been the same: be whoever you are, you're welcome here (assuming you're not a t***). Oh, and wear decent slacks, of course.”

It’s not the first time the staff have had media attention for their sense of humour.

In January last year, the pub banned 'jobby catchers' and 'mankles' in sartorial crackdown. The move was in a response those wearing tracksuits ‘infiltrating’ the pub.

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In a post on the pub’s Facebook page at the time, the business added that the ban might be extended to flip-flops – another fashion error in its eyes.

The message said: “We were accused of snobbishness last time but, frankly, they just make the place look scruffy.

“We do our best to keep the place looking reasonably smart and, if the first you see when you walk in is a group of lads wearing matching grey marl jobby catchers, we may as well have installed a beaten up bus shelter in the corner and invited folk to take a slash against it.

“Just to prove our sartorial prejudices cross all boundaries, we’re also taking a stand against this horrendous current trend of half mast jeans, bare ankles and shoes.

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“If you’re going to base your fashion choices on what the staff at Urban Outfitters were wearing, there’s a place created especially for you. It’s called Brewdog.”

June is Pride month, a month dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities around the world.

It is understood June was chosen for the celebrations as it was the month of the Stonewall riots, the protests that changed gay rights for many people in America and beyond.

Pride is usually celebrated with lots of parades and marches but due to coronavirus measures in place, a lot of events have been postponed or cancelled.

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Many organisations and businesses however have been continuing the celebrations on zoom, tiktok and other social media to keep people connected during the month’s celebrations.

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