Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Brooklyn lesbian bar cancels Pride DJ events after noise complaints
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 24, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Bobby Hankinson/Gothamist
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 24, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Brooklyn’s oldest lesbian bar is canceling most of its popular DJ events for Pride Month after racking up a series of noise complaints this year from its neighbors.
Ginger’s, nestled in Park Slope, is one of a small handful of lesbian bars in New York City. When customers aren’t lining up to play pool against one another or crowd its outdoor patio, the Irish dive bar hosts a swath of events throughout the year, from drag king shows to DJ nights.
This includes a full schedule of events for Pride Month — up until this year. Ginger’s shared in a May 18 Instagram post that it plans to cancel “the majority of our DJ events during Pride.”
The bar received 20 noise complaints between Jan. 1 and May 21 of this year, according to police data. And New York City’s 311 system received 49 noise complaints at the address associated with Ginger’s during the same period last year, a Gothamist review of public data shows.
The announcement generated concern from the bar's customers and some local elected officials, including Brooklyn Borough president Antonio Reynoso.
Reynoso said in a statement to Gothamist that the cancellation of events at Ginger’s is “representative of a bigger problem we’re seeing across Brooklyn.” He cited similar noise complaints aimed at the West Indian Day Parade and Puerto Rican Day celebrations.
“Ginger’s isn’t the bad neighbor — it’s the people demanding that communities and cultures take up less space who are not being neighborly,” Reynoso said.
The same sentiment was reiterated by the New York Hospitality Alliance, which represents more than 24,000 restaurants and nightlife establishments.
“When the oldest lesbian bar in Brooklyn cancels Pride events because of some neighbor complaints, it harms that community and underscores a larger problem, which can erode the cultural spaces that have long made New York City so special,” said its executive director, Andrew Rigie.
Nonetheless, the Park Slope establishment said it does plan to keep some events — like its annual Brooklyn Pride celebration.
“We know how much these nights mean to the community, and we’re deeply grateful for every DJ, organizer and guest who planned to dance the night away with us,” the post reads. “As much as we love turning up the music and creating space for queer joy, we also want to remain respectful of the neighborhood we have called home for the past 26 years, and our space that has been a neighborhood bar for 100 years.”
The owners of Ginger’s bar, Sheila Frayne and Brendan Donohoe, did not return a request for comment from Gothamist.
Millions of people — both locals and visitors — celebrate Pride Month in New York City, where the movement began with the Stonewall uprising.
But the monthlong celebration faces some new obstacles this year as corporations nix sponsorships for the Pride March and pull back more broadly on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. NYC Pride said recently it is more than half a million dollars under budget for the annual event.
Tagged
brooklyn
gay bars
pride
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .