All had seemed lost for the collective owners of SoMa’s historic queer bar, the Stud, during the early hours of Saturday. Meta Platforms initially suspended its Instagram account after the bar said bad actors flagged old posts with false charges of “human trafficking,” striking down a crucial marketing stream ahead of Sunday’s Dore Alley street fair — a yearly windfall.
But after online outcry — and scorn from state and local lawmakers — the social media giant backed off around 6:40 p.m. Saturday, restoring the page and the Stud’s 32,000 followers.
“We’re not doing anything secret or shady, we’re proudly posting on social media, we’re a legally operating business,” said co-owner and general manager Rachel Ryan.
The co-op nightclub on Folsom Street has been referred to as the oldest gay bar in San Francisco. Its owners, in an interview with Mission Local and in public statements on Instagram, said Meta notified them earlier in the week about a pending suspension over one of its months-old posts advertising a bygone party. The bar immediately filed an appeal, yet was officially notified Saturday afternoon that the page was disabled, according to Ryan.
“We relied on the page because it combined marketing, ticketing, and communications with clients and performers,” Ryan said. “To have that taken away with just a moment’s notice … I can’t even describe it.”
The street fair draws throngs of crowds annually from the city’s leather, kink and alternative sexuality communities....
All had seemed lost for the collective owners of SoMa’s historic queer bar, the Stud, during the early hours of Saturday. Meta Platforms initially suspended its Instagram account after the bar sai...