It’s been a week of man-on-man witch hunting. First, Manhunt’s facebook page was removed, with no explanation given to those kind folks who spend all their time updating the page and providing advertisement ideas for Zuckerman and Co. After tons of complaints, the mysterious strangers who run facebook put it back up and called it an error. Oops! 

Just one of the guys … at Swinging Richards

In, ahem, bigger news, North Miami Beach’s Swinging Richard’s, the only full-frontal male-nudity club in the country (the original SR is in Atlanta), got a little notice from those nice city townsfolk saying that a club cannot have naked dudes and serve alcohol—the never-enforced law goes back to 1994. Here’s the swinging pickle: Richards opened last November, taking over a straight, full-nudity bar, with the agreement they pay some back rent owed—cities don’t generally allow strip joints in a new establishment; they think it’s a better risk for them to move in on old, familiar turf. The previous bar went out of business; they were not cited for offering bush and beer.

The building itself has been home to straight “titty and twat”clubs for 22 years. (Yep, seems those N. Beachers like their drinks with a shot of pink.) And no one’s ever complained. Furthermore, there are several current straight bars in North Miami Beach that, you guessed it, feature completely naked women and allow you to buy a cocktail. I smell a homophobic rat.

The owners of Swinging Richards have been given until May 16 to decide which goes: The drinks or the dick. Oddly enough, there’s been no indication that the straight nudity bars will be given the same ultimatum. Even funnier, when asked why the law has never before been enforced, city officials said they weren’t aware of this ordinance that has been in existence for 18 years. Talk about limited government!

General Manager Matt Colunga and the rest are fighting for their equality, their club, and their staff. If you want to help, please sign the petition urging Swinging Richards to be afforded the same rights as everyone else. If SR is forced to put G-strings on their dancers, I’ve half a mind to start a petition forcing those straight bars to do the same. They’re still lapping all the way to the bank.

Here’s the link! Sign the petition, and get the balls rolling!

–David Toussaint