Bar posts 'not gay' sign

PEORIA, Ill., April 17 (UPI) -- It didn't play in Peoria, Ill., when a karaoke bar called The Elbo Room put up a sign announcing: "We are not a gay bar."

Peoria Councilwoman Barbara Van Auken, whose district includes the bar, says the sign violated state law and the city has notified owner Greg Quast, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

Quast, who could not be reached for comment, has issued a statement apologizing for the sign.

Prior to becoming The Elbo Room, the bar on Main Street was called the Quench Room and was known as a gay bar, longtime residents say.

Nick Stroman, 33, snapped a photo of the anti-gay sign and sent it to friends via the Internet.

A coalition quickly assembled and held a series of protests last weekend.

"The sign was basically a sign of intolerance, and we're not going to stand for it anymore," says Stephanie Worlow, 27, one of the organizers of the protest.