At least one of the largest gay clubs closed after the shooting at the request of police so safety and security protocols can be reassessed. Orlando has a thriving gay nightlife scene. SIEGLER: He says his staff and patrons are anxious, but they're still showing up. LLEWELLYN: I mean obviously everybody's a little on edge, but you know, nobody's going to stay at home and hide.
Carrying a gun in a bar is illegal in Florida, and a nervous Llewellyn called the police who escorted the man out. Yesterday a man came in here carrying a gun, saying it was for his own protection. But then again, Llewellyn says everyone is still rattled. SIEGLER: This type of precaution at Savoy is a first. It seems pretty normal until the owner, Brian Llewellyn, gestures toward a black SUV idling outside the front door and an armed security guard behind its tinted windows.īRANDON LLEWELLYN: There's been a lot of rumors, so you know, we're just taking the extra precaution to have him here just to be safe. KIRK SIEGLER, BYLINE: Savoy, a small neighborhood gay bar in Orlando's Lake Ivanhoe district, is crowded - people drinking and laughing. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports the city's dozen or so gay bars and nightclubs are responding differently to the attack. Before the attack, Orlando was actually a major destination for gay nightlife. The Orlando shootings have shocked and angered LGBT-owned business owners in the city.
