NYC Bar Tackles Gender Inequality By Charging Women Only 77% Of The Tab

Credit: http://neworleanscitybusiness.com
Credit: http://neworleanscitybusiness.com

The Way Station, a bar located in the Prospects Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, decided to draw attention to gender inequality on July (7/7) by charging women only 77% of their bar tab.

Why 77%? Because the average US woman makes about 77 to 78 cents for every dollar that a man earns.

The watering hole decided to make the most of ladies’ night by drawing attention to the very important issue. Said Andy Heidel, the owner of The Way Station, “I thought this would be a great way to even the playing field even if was only one night only.” As the owner has three sisters and the majority of his staff and friends are women, the night of activism seemed fitting.

Of the many women who went out on 7/7 for the 33% discount were two 21-year-olds, Cheyenne and Aliyah. Aliah, who is a senior at John Jay college and hopes to be a New York police officer, said the gender pay gap is something she worries about when thinking about her post-college experience.

Truly, rent is not biased when it comes to gender. Why should men and women be paid differently?

Said Cheyenne, “My male coworker works less than me gets paid more than me.”  The 21-year-old who works in retail and is studying fashion merchandising at LIM College continued, “The other day, we were talking about pay and wages and he told me he gets paid more than me.”

And these women are aware they have more than one bias working against them; both women are of African-American descent. Statistically, women of color earn 64 cents for every $1 earned by men.

“This is about equality. This is America,” said Cheyenne. “We should get equal pay.”

According to the owner, the entire point of the Tuesday deal was to get people talking. And converse they did. Just feet away from where the young women stood, men’s rights activists stated that they thought the deal discriminated against men. Some threatened to boycott the bar. (Heidel had a ready response: good riddance.)

bar

Word quickly spread of Heidel’s promotion, and just five hours after the bar opened, over 90 occupants crowded into its setting. Heidel told the Guardian while taking a break outside, “This is much bigger than I expected.” 

Contemplating whether or not to turn away patrons, Heidel then decided he’d ask 706 bar, a bar across the street, to join the cause. “I wanted to be able to send them someplace where they would be treated with respect and be able to enjoy the same discount,” said the owner.

The success of this evening goes to show how important of an issue gender equality is. Like gay marriage and color equality, we are entering into an era of change and acceptance. Whether it’s ‘Free the Nipple’ campaign for women or equal pay for the same amount of work, it’s clear educated individuals of this millennia are ready for sweeping change. 

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