Houston just passed a law that will change how you experience nightlife in the city.
HOUSTON — Houston City Council approved a new ordinance requiring bars, clubs and similar venues to clearly display their dress codes at entrances, addressing concerns about arbitrary admission policies that some say have unfairly excluded patrons based on their appearance.
City Council Member Edward Pollard, who proposed the measure, said the ordinance tackles a widespread problem in the city’s nightlife scene.
“What I have experienced and what many others have experienced is this arbitrarily selecting who gets in and who does not,” Pollard stated.
The ordinance, which passed by a vote of 11-2, was co-sponsored by council members Carolyn Evans-Shabazz and Letitia Plummer.
“If we are very clear and consistent and good business owners, we should want that consistency,” Evans-Shabazz said during council discussions.
However, the measure faced opposition from some council members who viewed it as government overreach.
“This ordinance exemplifies the type of unnecessary government overreach that’s made so many of our residents frustrated with city government,” said Council Member Mary Nan Huffman.
Bar owners appear supportive of the new requirement. Alba Huerta, owner of Julep Bar, praised the ordinance despite not having a dress code herself.
“I think it’s great. I think everybody wins with this ordinance,” Huerta said, explaining that posting rules helps avoid confusion for customers.
The ordinance comes in response to complaints from Houston residents who say they’ve been turned away from venues without clear explanation. Sage Johnson described being denied entry to a club “because of my track pants,” noting there was no posted sign explaining the dress code requirements.
Sterling McClendon, who says he’s experienced similar treatment, believes the change promotes fairness.
“That’s always been an issue here. Everybody deserves to be in the same building,” he said.
Some patrons have questioned whether dress codes can be applied inconsistently. One person who was turned away noticed “somebody else was wearing something similar” but was allowed entry, raising concerns about selective enforcement.
The debate extends beyond posting requirements to whether dress codes should exist at all.
“Come as you are … we’re here to have fun. Why does it matter what you’re wearing?” asked Victoria Jones, expressing a sentiment shared by others who view dress codes as exclusionary.
Samuel Gardner offered a mixed perspective on the issue, calling dress codes both “an advantage” and “a disadvantage” since “not everyone wears the same dress code they want.”
With the ordinance now passed, Houston establishments will be required to make their admission policies transparent to potential customers, potentially ending disputes over unclear or unevenly applied dress code standards.