Andy and Wayne offer a safe haven at Dorothy's in the middle of City.
England's Andy and Waynne travelled all over the world. After travelling around Australia and working in Thailand, they moved to the Netherlands for Waynne's job. They lived close to Amsterdam, but were looking for a more affordable alternative. Andy and Waynne looked at places all over the country, but when they saw Groningen, they were sold. Not much later, they took over one of the oldest gay bars in the Netherlands. Here they now run a drag bar in which everyone is welcome.
Where Dorothy followed the 'yellow brick road' to the land of Oz, Andy and Wayne followed their hearts and that's how they ended up in Groningen. They went to live in Warffum 3 years ago and heard that the old owner of the gay café on Pottenbakkersrijge in Stad wanted to sell the place. Due to circumstances, Wayne had to return to England and Andy was left behind in Warffum. With an important choice to make and the North Sea between them, there were many phone calls back and forth. Andy already had experience in the hospitality industry, but Waynne had never tapped a beer before.
Drag for all
When they did decide to take the plunge together, Dorothy's Dragbar was born. Andy picked up his drag again and now performs as his alter-ego 'Dorothy Male'. But other drag queens from all over the Netherlands also come to Groningen to entertain the café's guests. The men make it clear that their café is there for everyone: "We classify ourselves as a full-time drag bar because we have drag entertainment every weekend: we have drag bingo, quizzes, shows, competitions and karaoke. Because the offerings are so varied, everyone can enjoy themselves," Andy says. "You can come here as long as you are respectful of everyone. Although we see ourselves as an LGBTQI+++ bar, we also see the importance of bringing people from different communities together. That's the whole point of awareness and acceptance" Waynne adds.
Bakermat for new talent
There is an 'open stage policy' at Dorothy's, meaning that budding drag queens or kings are allowed to make their debut in the bar. Waynne and Andy are enthusiastic about the fine atmosphere at their bar; it gives beginners in drag the confidence to emerge. "Although the bar is a bit small at times and this can cause problems, it also gives an intimate atmosphere at the same time. Drag queens feel supported by the audience even faster as a result," Waynne says.
But things are not always all rosy. In April last year, a violent incident occurred outside the door of Dorothy's in which several employees were assaulted. "After the incident in April, we realised how vulnerable the community feels. We opened the bar to the public on the Monday after that particular Saturday. We were amazed at how the community came together. People brought us flowers and cards" says Andy. And the men didn't stop there. They raised money for the Dusty Foundation through various actions. This foundation is committed to making a fist against narrow-mindedness, violence and discrimination towards the Rainbow community.
Queer year in Groningen
In 2024, ‘Stad en Ommeland’ will be dedicated to the ‘Queer Year’. A year which, according to the organisers, is all about connecting people – between you and me, between yesterday, today and tomorrow, between individuals and communities, and between places and regions. And for the third time, Pink Saturday will also be celebrated in Groningen, which promises to be another huge party. Andy and Waynne are also involved and will be looking in the coming weeks to see what their role will be in this celebration for everyone. But fortunately, it’s not just a party on Pink Saturday at Dorothy’s; every weekend you can head here for a party extravaganza.
This entrepreneurial portrait was made as part of the Gastvrij Groningen programme. The Gastvrij Groningen programme is run by Marketing Groningen and implemented and financed on behalf of The Fund for Enterprising Groningen, the Municipality of Groningen and Groningen Bereikbaar. Koninklijke Horeca Nederland and the four Groningen business associations: Groningen City Club, Bedrijvenvereniging West, Bedrijvenvereniging Zuidoost and Bedrijvenvereniging Noordoost are also involved in the programme.