Atlanta gay bar closes over owner's controversial social media posts

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A well-known Atlanta gay bar remains closed after the discovery of controversial remarks made on social media.

They were allegedly made by one of the owners of Burkhart's in Midtown.

Burkhart's doors closed for the public after dozens of entertainers quit as a group.

The group made the decision after employees say that Palmer Marsh, one of the club's owners, made offensive remarks on Facebook.

In the screenshot of one of the posts circulating on social media Marsh appears to use a racial slur regarding former president Barack Obama.

The posts have since been deleted from Marsh's Facebook page.

Some say they're glad 30 drag queens walked out this week. 

"I'm very proud of the people that I know that work there standing up to ongoing treatment that's not just recent from a Facebook post," Keith Young, a patron of the bar, said. "From what they've told me [there's been] years of bad treatment."

FOX 5 has been told that the bar is now up for sale and may have new owners soon. Marsh and his wife Mary are the original owners and have had the bar for decades.

"Taking someone past statements and judging them by those past statements and blowing it up and forgetting what they did for this community. What Miss Mary and Burkhart's did for the community speaks more volumes than someone using inappropriate language and who they vote for," patron Desmond Flanigan said. "It hurts to see the many people that she helped, and people have turned their back on her."

Some of the performers don't plan to work at the popular nightspot until new owners take over.

"I hope the world becomes a better place and I hope the gay community can really wrap their hands around the people who are standing up for themselves," Young said.

For now, the bar remains closed.