A home for queer joy: Members of Bossy Grrl’s Pin Up Joint speak on recent transgender legislation, experiences in LGBTQ+ community

Brooke Tacsar
Fri, 07 Mar 2025 04:17:24 +0000
Arts & Life, Instagram Page, News, art, Axios, bossy grrl's pin up joint, Columbus, community, donald trump, drag, drag queen, inclusive, Klaus Kiegley, LGBTQ, Mickie Johnston, Mike DeWine, nightlife, Old North Columbus, performing, political climate, protect all students act, queer, queer expression, queer joy, Ray Felts, transgender legislation, transgender rights

Bossy Grrl’s Pin Up Joint, located at 2598 N. High Street in the Old North. Credit: Brooke Tascar | Senior Lantern Reporter

Bossy Grrl’s Pin Up Joint has earned a reputation as a vibrant hub for performance, community and self-expression.?

A staple of the Old North Columbus neighborhood for over a decade, the venue —?located at 2598 N. High St. —?fosters an inclusive atmosphere and showcases a diverse array of events, including drag shows, karaoke nights and live performances by both emerging and established drag and burlesque artists, said Mickie Johnston, local performer, show producer and bar manager at Bossy Grrl’s.?

With recent political developments targeting transgender rights, members of the Bossy Grrls community are speaking out about their experiences both at the venue and within Columbus’ queer community as a whole.?

These developments include Ohio’s “Protect All Students Act,” signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in November 2024 and enacted Feb. 25, 2025. According to a Nov. 27, 2024 press release from the governor, the law mandates that individuals must use bathrooms corresponding to the gender they were assigned at birth.

Additionally, President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed on Jan. 20, declared the federal government would only recognize two sexes: male and female, according to a Jan. 20 NBC News article.

According to a Feb. 5 AXIOS article, other recent orders include measures banning transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports, scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and halting federal funding for youth gender-affirming research and care for individuals under 19. Additionally, transgender military service members are expected to be removed from the force within the next month, according to the Associated Press.

Johnston said in light of this legislation, Bossy Grrl’s offers something special to Columbus: a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community.?

“What we have here is really special,” Johnston said. “As a bartender, I’ve worked in nightlife at a bunch of different places, and [Bossy Grrl’s] is the safest that I’ve ever felt.”?

Originally a paint shop and once a motorcycle business, the building now housing Bossy Grrl’s has undergone several transformations, Johnston said. Today, they said the space stands as a 100% women-owned venue, a shift reflecting the location’s ever-evolving identity.?

Klaus Keigley, a drag king, weekly karaoke host and occasional barback at Bossy Grrl’s, said he found his way into the community through the bar’s welcoming environment.?

“I started coming here as a patron back in August/September of last year, and that was my first exposure to the drag scene,” Keigley said. “I had very little exposure beforehand, and then started coming to shows, and then developed an interest and started performing back in November.”?

For Keigley, he said Bossy Grrl’s has become more than just a venue — it’s a second home.?

“I have a weird living situation with Trump-supporting grandparents, so I don’t like to be home a whole lot, so I come here whether it’s to work or just to hang out,” Keigley said.??

Johnston echoed Keigley’s sentiments, adding that the space fosters a sense of belonging for both customers and employees.?

“The grand scheme of things might totally suck right now, but this little hallway of a bar right now, there are people like me, like-minded to me, thriving and having fun and getting to exist safely,” Johnston said. “I think it’s a very important role, and it’s a role that I’m very, very lucky to get to be the one behind the bar for.”?

Johnston said what sets Bossy Grrl’s apart is not just its community and customer base, but the space’s distinctly safe atmosphere.?

“As a femme in nightlife, I’ve absolutely had past bar jobs where a man will get rowdy and no one will have my back in any sense, but here, very rarely does anybody get inappropriately rowdy with me as a bartender,” Johnston said. “If they do, I know everyone in the bar will back me up if I need to make someone leave or calm someone down.”

Pairs of bras hang on a chandelier overlooking Bossy Grrl’s Pin Up Joint. Credit: Brooke Tascar | Senior Lantern Reporter

Johnston said despite the challenges presented by the current political climate, Bossy Grrl’s remains steadfast as a safe and inclusive space where individuals can freely explore and express their identities.?

“We’ve become a lot of people’s first spot out, so to speak, where people — after starting testosterone — once their voice dropped, we’re their first karaoke to see where they stand vocally at that point, or someone’s first time doing drag or exploring their identity on a stage,” Johnston said.?

Ray Felts, a bartender at Bossy Grrl’s, said they love the bar for the sense of joy the space fosters.?

“It really is such an amazing thing to get to witness the kind of community that comes together, and just how joyful it is,” Felts said. “I think [Bossy Grrl’s] stands for that: No matter what else is going on, you can’t take away queer joy.”

Johnston said everything, even down to the chandeliers, symbolize the spirit of the Bossy Grrl’s community, each detail with its own backstory.?

“Even our bras hanging from our ceilings, most people see it as a burlesque bar, but most of these have been donated by performers who have retired or performers after they get their top surgery who celebrate by kind of memorializing it on one of the chandeliers,” Johnston said. “I think it’s very cool that this aspect of [community] is so ingrained that we have it on our ceilings.”

Keigley said navigating the complexities of his existence, having come out as a transgender man in summer 2022, has been challenging.?

“People always just assumed that I was a lesbian, and then I started hanging out with my ex-roommate in high school at the time and he was the only other person who had been dealing with some gender things,” Keigley said. “Then, I discovered stuff online — like the idea of being transgender —?and I realized that I felt some of those things.”?

Keigley said recent legislation targeting transgender rights has made him worry about the future both for himself and the entire LGBTQ+ community.?

“It is very concerning how [legislation] may eventually affect me and already seeing how it’s affecting people younger than me,” Keigley said. “It just worries me because I wasn’t out as trans when I was younger, but I would imagine being terrified as to what the future would be.”?

Johnston said they also feel concerned about the impact of anti-queer legislation, but reaffirmed that Bossy Grrl’s will never change its purpose: hope.?

“Our existence right now is exhausting,” Johnston said. “It’s hard, it’s exhausting and I think one of the goals of the people who are trying to kill us is to wear us down and break us down.”?

Johnston said the threat of such legislation feels personal, especially for how it will affect those within their community.?

“I’m very lucky that I don’t necessarily wear my gender expression on my sleeve,” Johnston said. “As a non-binary person, it’s very easy for me to go stealth, to slip into that woman mold when I need to, but I think the way that I’ve seen it happening the most is with some of my closest friends, the trans performers and people I’m lucky enough to call siblings, friends and family.”?

In the face of these challenges, Bossy Grrl’s represents a vital form of resistance, Johnston said, invoking a quote from LGBTQ+ activist Dan Savage: “During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for.”?

Despite the mounting challenges, Johnston said they remain proud of the role Bossy Grrl’s plays in offering a sanctuary for queer joy.?

“Getting to be that place that is such a safe space for queer joy and expression in such trying times, with everything that’s going on right now, going through it in a place like this makes me feel very special in that if I have to do it,” Johnston said. “It’s with a community, and it’s with a community where we can drink, and dance and forget for a minute knowing we’re safe in here.”?

Felts said despite the harsh political climate, Bossy Grrl’s represents something particularly meaningful.?

“No matter what is going on, we’re always going to be able to still have a good time, enjoy each other [and] enjoy the shows,” Felts said. “The kind of art that I get to see is insane. It’s the kind of environment that will always get you to feel accepted and wanted.”

Johnston said the essence of Bossy Grrl’s is rooted in community and the power of art, especially during turbulent times.

“Art always thrives when things get terrible, and I get to be right here with the art,” Johnston said.?

For more information about Bossy Grrl’s, including its menu and upcoming events, visit its website.