Copyright The Austin Chronicle
Austin’s queer and nightlife scene is still strapped into the Cheer Up Charlies ride, which went careening around a new curve last month when co-owners Maggie Lea and Tamara Hoover announced that their Red River Cultural District LGBTQIA bar and music venue had been acquired by Pride Holdings Group. Community members went quickly to the comment section. Some congratulated the local owners. Others had tough questions for the pair, given that many recently donated to Cheer Ups’ successful August crowdfunding campaign, and given fiercely protective locals’ skepticism toward out-of-towners. It wouldn’t be a 2025 Cheer Up Charlies story without Instagram fire-stoker @kuc_bignews. The KUT parody account published, and later retracted, incorrect information stating that members of the Pride Holdings board were registered Republican voters, leading to internet uproar. The account also pointed out that an Instagram page bearing the Pride Holdings name and logo was following Donald Trump Jr. and Morgan Wallen, among other MAGA associates. Pride Holdings did not address a request for comment on this specific issue, but Cheer Up Charlies claimed in a since-deleted post that the accounts were accidentally followed by a junior employee whose social media access has since been revoked. Three representatives from Pride Holdings did, however, assert to the Chronicle that the publicly traded organization is not MAGA-affiliated. Oilcan Harry’s owner Scott Neal was quick to create a post of his own, referencing the claims of conservatism and expressing indignation at the acquisition. In a conversation with the Chronicle a week later, Neal conveyed that his concern lies with the business model of a holdings group moving into Austin. “This is the Walmart and McDonald’s of business models, but now they’re bringing it for the LGBTQ entertainment bar,” Neal said, comparing the move to a Walmart closing out a local dry goods store and expressing fear that Cheer Ups’ increased access to resources could put the squeeze on locally owned clubs. More than that, Neal worried that verbal assertions that Cheer Ups will retain its local character and community stature are not enough to insulate the bar from the larger pressures at play in an SEC-regulated public entity. Changes in the board makeup or larger governmental influence could impact the holding group’s governance in the future, he pointed out. He used the recent example of Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of socially minded ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, stepping down from the company in response to internal tension regarding his political speech. “The company that bought out Ben & Jerry’s promised on a stack of Bibles that they would continue to allow them to speak their mind and not interfere at all. They even went far above what most other corporations do when they buy all companies by setting up that independent board,” Neal said. “Jerry finally stepped down as a result of his own corporation trying to silence them. “The community needs to make sure they understand what’s at stake.” When asked what written protections would shield the bar and its parent company from future alterations in the case of a shareholder shake-up, Pride Holdings did not address the question. Travis Coles was the general manager at Club One in Savannah, Georgia, for nearly 19 years when Pride Holdings Group approached the nightclub’s then-owner about acquisition. Club One became part of the holding company in August, and Coles joined as an area manager to assist future members, including Cheer Up Charlies. “For me personally, with Club One, there has been nothing dictated to change, really, the format of our operations or the messaging. There’s no censorship or anything like that,” Coles said. He described the group’s intentions as preserving authenticity and enabling sustainability, rather than creating competition or conformity. Pride Holdings Group emerged in July 2025, when its first press releases announced the appointment of its board of directors and, shortly thereafter, Michael Barrett as CEO. Barrett, an experienced franchise owner and manager, was serving as the owner and CEO of AquaPlex, an LGBTQIA club and drag dining experience with locations in Key West and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. AquaPlex, then, became the first venue on Pride’s roster. On the phone with the Chronicle, Barrett described the holding group’s beginnings as a response to the threats facing queer spaces. “We want to make sure that we’re providing that safe space and especially in places that are under pressure,” he said. “There’s savings in numbers, in liability insurance and liquor purchases [when bars share resources].” Shortly after Cheer Ups announced the acquisition, Barrett and members of his team traveled to Austin to meet with Lea and Hoover, their staff, and several LGBTQIA organizations in town, including the LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission, whose members did not respond to a request for comment. “We wanna be a part of that community just like we are in Key West and the other places that we’re going [to]. Our presence is not here to just pump money out of the city of Austin. It’s also about preserving what we have now,” he stressed. Barrett was disappointed by the community backlash, but he thinks the anxiety is understandable. “Until people get to know us, there’s always gonna be that uncertainty,” he said. “Once they get to know us, they’ll know that me and my husband have their best interest at heart. I think that’s human nature and I don’t discount that for anybody, but the proof is in the pudding and how we conduct ourselves here in Austin.” Pride said that it’d like to join the LGBT Chamber of Commerce and organize fundraisers benefiting local advocacy organizations. In these early weeks of its involvement, the community is warily awaiting proof of concept. When reached for comment, Colton Ashabranner, interim CEO for the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, wrote: “As with any change in ownership, we hope to see a continued commitment to preserving queer spaces that reflect our community’s values of inclusivity, authenticity, and local connection. We welcome collaboration and transparency from any organization investing in Austin’s LGBTQ+ economy to ensure that our bars, venues, and creative spaces remain safe, affirming, and community-driven.” At this point in the business’ history, precedent is hard to come by. Whether this holding group is a flash-in-the-pan Band-Aid amid the many pressures facing locally owned LGBTQIA businesses or the face of their new future, and what concerns will come to fruition, is difficult to determine. “I understand how difficult it is to run a business in this environment,” Neal said with a sigh, acknowledging the pressure Lea and Hoover have been facing to keep the bar afloat in a difficult economy. “These places have been the backbone of our support network that has kept us safe and strong for decades and decades. And when we start losing the strength of our backbone, and our safety network, and our support system – well, then I worry.” This article appears in November 7 • 2025.
