April 25 2026, 08:15 
Philadelphia women’s sports bar Marsha’s, named for the pioneering Stonewall rioter Marsha P. Johnson, is in turmoil after two fired Black staffers alleged transphobia and misogyny at the bar in the city’s queer-friendly Queen Village.
Black and queer owner Chivonn Anderson has denied the allegations.
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Marsha’s former Black and trans manager and bartender Olivia Rhodes went public on socials with the charges after she was abruptly terminated last week, claiming the bar quickly developed a bad reputation among marginalized staffers upon opening in September, Philadelphia Gay News reports.
“Marsha’s may claim to be a queer safe space, but it is nothing like that,” Rhodes asserted in an Instagram post. She said Anderson called the police on her when she questioned why she was being fired.
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Rhodes accused the bar’s general manager, Rylan Murphy, a white trans man, of creating a hostile work environment by disparaging women and staffers of color. Rhodes quoted Murphy as saying women and nonbinary employees were “overly emotional” and should be replaced with men, because the bar needs “more testosterone.” Murphy hired male employees in the aftermath, Rhodes said.
Rhodes alleged in her video that management commented derisively about Black music that she played in the bar, calling Megan Thee Stallion “ghetto” and “too Black” for Marsha’s, while suggesting white artists to feature instead.
When Rhodes questioned a lack of representation on staff, Murphy tore into her for half an hour over the issue, she said. A week later she was fired, despite a glowing performance review just a month earlier.
Termination paperwork claims she was fired “due to a continued misalignment with the company’s operating practices and standards.”
“See you in court losers!!!!” Rhodes said in another Instagram post.
Hundreds of comments from patrons, current and former employees, and events partners backing up Rhodes’ claims forced Anderson to launch an “independent review” of the bar.
“We know that trust is built through action, and we are committed to earning that back” Anderson said in a statement just seven months after opening Marsha’s.
Rhodes’ firing followed another abrupt termination just five days earlier. Seisha Mason, a biracial bisexual woman, said she was continually treated poorly by management and endured retaliation for saying so. Mason filed a complaint with Philadelphia’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after Anderson allegedly ghosted her following her dismissal.
A Reddit user claiming to be a current employee described a host of workplace culture issues at the bar, with allegations that Marsha’s head chef repeatedly misgendered staff, and accusations that manager Murphy is a “hothead” who has “blown up at employees and event organizers.”
Late pay, problems with tip outs, and outright wage theft were reported by others responding to fired manager Rhodes’ accusations. Marsha’s was also subject to massive raid by Philadelphia police in March after reports of the bar operating without proper permits and serving alcohol to minors, WPVI reported.
“We are committed — I am committed — to regaining your trust,” Anderson said in her own video posted to Instagram following Rhodes’ comments.
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