Six D.C. gay clubs eligible for extended hours for Inauguration
Special exemption for bars, restaurants creates uncertainty
By LOU CHIBBARO JR, Washington Blade | Dec 24, 10:53 AM
http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23176At least six of the city's 20 gay bars and restaurants are eligible to stay open beyond the normal closing hours during a five-day period in January for President-elect Barack Obama's Inauguration.
The remaining 15 gay establishments — like hundreds of other D.C. bars, nightclubs and restaurants — most likely won't be eligible for extended hours because they are bound by previously signed voluntary agreements with Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and other neighborhood groups. Those agreements usually include restrictions on the establishments' hours of operation, according to a spokesperson for the city's Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA).
