"After arguing with them, because this is queerphobia, I get down and they kick me out along with my brother and my cousin who tried to defend me," Olmedo said in a TikTok video that had received nearly 31,000 views by Monday night.
Cruz, Saturday's headliner, shared the video on his Instagram and called on the nightclub to do better. "yoo @spacemiami no one should have to go through this. It's 2022. Keep your parties safe and open," the DJ wrote.
When they were first ordered to get down, Olmedo said in the video, they tried to explain to the security guard that they didn't identify as a male.@bruno_olmedo I got kicked out of @clubspace_miami for defending my queerness 🏳️🌈 #fyp #clubspace #clubspacemiami #miami #lgbt #lgbtq #queer #nightlife #clubbing #dance #gay #genderfluid #pride #patrickchurch @clubspacemiami #fu #cancel #iiipoints #nikolacruz #housemusic #electronicmusic ♬ Hold Me Closer - Elton John & Britney Spears
"I tried to explain to him that I don't identify as a man, and he looks at me and says, 'Get down!' really threateningly," Olmedo continued. "I felt shocked because I've danced on go-go boxes at many other hetero-dominant electronic clubs. But I got down because I was kind of scared."
After Olmedo got down and moved away from the security guard, a group of girls invited them to come dance on their platform. As Olmedo was dancing, a second security guard spotted them and demanded that Olmedo get down immediately. Olmedo asked why they needed to get off the box. The guard brought a manager who told Olmedo they had to get down because their driver's license identified them as a male.
"I try to explain to the manager that I don't identify as a man, and he has the audacity to tell me because my [identification] says I am a man, I'm a man," Olmedo explained in the video.
After Olmedo came down from the platform, the manager told them they had to leave the club immediately.
Olmedo left and took to TikTok to share what happened.
Reached by New Times, Club Space management confirmed Olmedo's version of events and said the club was saddened by the incident and dedicated to addressing inclusivity issues.
"Club Space does not tolerate homophobic, transphobic, queerphobic, or prejudiced behaviors of any kind in our spaces, and we will not allow for anyone to misrepresent the values for which we stand," the club subsequently posted on Instagram. "We embrace diversity and are working diligently to foster a culture of acceptance, safety, and freedom of expression."
The venue's leadership team — David Sinopoli, David Denese, and Coloma Kaboomsky — admits it restricted the dance boxes to women after numerous incidents involving men who aggressively grabbed at women or targeted their purses for theft. Moving forward, they say, Space will relax its rules with the continued aim of fostering a fun and safe environment.
"After Saturday's incident, we have reviewed our dance box policy which will now evolve to the following: everyone, regardless of gender, is welcome to dance up there as long as they are positively contributing to the party, not being disruptive to others," the Instagram statement promised. "To ensure that our staff and team members reflect the values of our organization, we are intensifying our staff member sensitivity training in partnership with community LGBTQIA+ organizations and will continue to do so."
Since its opening in 2000, Club Space always has attracted a queer clientele despite being a hetero-dominant nightclub. In 2016, after a period of decline, Sinopoli, Denese, and Kaboomsky purchased the venue and ushered in a renaissance. (In 2019, event promoter Insomniac, behind events like Electric Daisy Carnival and Okeechobee Music & Art Festival, acquired an ownership stake.) The club continues to be a world-class music destination as partygoers gather on the terrace to listen to dance music and watch the sunrise. It also regularly hosts queer-centric events as well as queer and transgender performers.
Members of the LGBTQ community have long complained about discriminatory behavior within Miami nightlife. Last year, New Times interviewed several queer people who said they'd experienced some form of discrimination at clubs and bars in Miami. Two weeks ago, a queer 23-year-old alleged they were assaulted by staff at Centro in Wynwood — an allegation the club vehemently denied.
