The Palace Manila, the club network to which the Valkyrie nightclub belongs, gave BuzzFeed Philippines their official statement. Read the full response below.
Veejay Floresca, a transgender Filipina fashion designer, was denied entry into the Philippine nightclub Valkyrie on June 13.
Even though the she was on the guest list, the bouncer denied her entry, citing that the club "does not allow cross-dressers."
Floresca was able to enter the club only after presenting her California state ID, which identifies her as female.
Floresca returned to Valkyrie on June 20 to celebrate a friend's birthday party, but was once again not permitted to enter.
Even when Floresca presented her California ID to the bouncer, the bouncer said, "Lalaki pa rin, yan." ("That's still a man.") Spot.PH reported.
The Philippine Star reported a similar incident had occurred on Feb. 28 when a transgender woman was denied entry into Valkyrie.
Valkyrie also turned away Trixie Maristela on June 13 for presenting as a woman when her ID indicated her gender as male.
The incident has mobilized the transgender community in the Philippines and the Filipino internet at large to call for action against Valkyrie management.
In response to the incidents at Valkyrie, out gay actor and comedian Vice Ganda told the LGBT community on Twitter, "I am one of you and I am one with you."
He also reportedly invested in Valkyrie in the past and tweeted about the possibility of divesting.
Transgender Filipina model and LGBT rights advocate Geena Rocero has taken to the hashtag #TransRevolutionPH to follow the aftermath of the events at Valkyrie.
When reached for comment, Valkyrie management told BuzzFeed Philippines that in turning away trans women, "the Club's personnel were merely adhering to its safety policies and guidelines."
The management of Valkyrie Nightclub (the "Club") has been made aware of a recent incident in which certain individuals were denied entry into the Club. Club management would like to apologize to these individuals if the denial of entry resulted in their embarrassment or made them feel disrespected in any way. It was never the intention of the Club to cause embarrassment nor to disrespect any person. In denying entry to these individuals, the Club's personnel were merely adhering to its safety policies and guidelines. Valkyrie Nightclub and The Palace Pool Club are private establishments. As such, they reserve the right to determine who will be permitted entry into their premises. The determination of who will be allowed entry into the premises is based primarily on the Club's safety policies and guidelines. The Club's staff, particularly those manning the entrance, are tasked with the primary responsibility of implementing these safety policies and guidelines. The staff members' duties include inspection of the identification cards of patrons intending to enter the premises to ensure that those entering the Club are properly identified and are of the proper age. In the event that there is any doubt as to the authenticity of the identification card presented, the Club's staff members are authorized to deny entry to the individual presenting such identification card. Again, this is intended to ensure the safety of all of the Club's guests and patrons. Club management recognizes, however, that it may be necessary to provide further training to its staff to ensure that they are better able to communicate the Club's guidelines and policies to its patrons in order to avoid misunderstanding in the future. The management of Valkyrie Nightclub and The Palace Pool Club wishes to clarify that it does not discriminate against transwomen and transgender individuals. The Club does not refuse entry on the basis of an individual's sexual orientation. The Club has, on many previous occasions, welcomed transgender guests into its premises. Once again, the management of the Club apologizes to those individuals who may have felt embarrassed or disrespected in any way.Moving forward, the management of the Club intends to reach out to the LGBT community to ensure that any concerns they may have regarding this matter are adequately addressed.