Political Pattie’s changes exterior after public backlash

The word “political” on Political Pattie’s will be repainted in a larger blue font this week to offset the red doors.

The Democrat donkey and Republican elephant on the facade of the new U Street bar have also been recently covered with coats of white paint.

“The elephant, we realized, people found it offensive and hurtful,” co-owner Drew Benbow said. “That’s not our goal; our goal is to be inclusive.”

The political-themed bar, located where LGBTQ-friendly Dirty Goose used to operate, opened on Sept. 20. Owners immediately received backlash. Social media users said it “sounds like a nightmare” and “feels like a Republican tried to use AI to build and create a bar.”

Benbow said he was shocked by the response because his and co-owner Sydney Bradford’s goal was to unite people through sharing ideologies. The exterior changes were made in response to the online feedback.

“It became very evident at that point that this was way bigger than opening a bar, and soon, we realized we’re not just a bar, we’re a beacon,” Benbow said. “We received a lot of attention and we feel it’s our responsibility to use that attention to spread a message of unity.”

The D.C.-native couple, Benbow and Bradford, both studied political science and were driven to start Political Pattie’s to create a space for civil discussion. Bradford is a Democrat, and Benbow is a moderate Republican; they shared with The Wash that they each plan on voting for Kamala Harris in November.

The pair said an ideal Saturday night at Political Pattie’s has a DJ spinning music at a presidentially inspired booth, televisions set on various news channels and patrons holding gavels indulging in “Gerrymander Martinis” or “Filibuster Fizzes” on each of the three floors.

Roger Mudd, a fan of the bar, said that when he visited, he was greeted with friendly faces, top-shelf spirits, a rooftop and “great beats to move to.”

“It’s simply a place where people from all walks of life can come together to watch and discuss politics, just like you would at a sports bar,” Mudd said. “And we all know the LGBTQ+ community dominates politics.”

Benbow said the bar’s concept pokes fun at politics, not the pain that politics often causes.

“Political Pattie’s is a forum for tolerance, for reasonable minds coming together to speak about the issues of the day without challenging each other’s existence or humanity,” Bradford said.

Zack Brown, a former Capitol Hill staffer, said he was both intrigued and horrified when learning about the bar concept through social media. He called it “ill researched” and “tone deaf.”

“The political environment is so divisive and emotionally and otherwise charged and fraught on its own,” Brown said.

Bradford said Political Pattie’s is designed to provide a platform for bipartisan exchange in predominantly blue D.C. but made it clear intolerance is not tolerated.

“We understand that for different folks, having a conversation with someone who is a Republican might seem like it’s an element that could bring about pain, could bring about thoughts of debating their experience, etc.,” Bradford said. “… We want to make sure that people feel this is a safe space to engage in the polite political discourse we think can happen at Pattie’s.”

Jarret Crawford, an expert in political psychology and intergroup attitudes at The College of New Jersey, said his research has revealed that listening to and being listened to by people with conflicting political beliefs without persuasion can reduce dislike between parties.

“They’re not trying to shove their ideas down your throat [and] make you believe what they believe,” Crawford said. “It’s more like giving you an opportunity to express your own opinion.”

Bradford also acknowledges that the bar’s U Street address resides in a prominent gay community and while guests don’t need to be like-minded, they need to be rational and polite.

“We don’t think it’s too divisive of a theme for a bar where it’s located, as long as things are conducted in a respectful and responsible manner, which is the way we intend to conduct anything and any political discourse that occurs at our bar,” Bradford said.