‘A safe place for the gay community.’ Myrtle Beach club celebrates 10 years in business
Pulse Ultra Club on South Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach has now been serving the LGBTQ+ community for ten years as of Saturday, Ken Phillips, owner and operator of the popular nightclub, said.
“I’ve been in the community for about 35 years or so,” Phillips said. “My partner and I decided to venture out on our own and start Pulse.”
Phillips said that his vision for Pulse was for it to be “a safe place for the gay community to come home to.”
“We have everything. We have weddings and bridal showers. I’ve had it all. But my primary thing is that I want a safe place for the gay community to call their own,” he said.
This time of year is special for Phillips not only because of the anniversary of Pulse, but also because of the anniversary of the passing of his partner on Aug. 2, 2018, with whom he started the nightclub.
“I’ve seen great changes over the years. Back when I first came out the community, it was kind of hard, there was still hate. I’ve seen everything from some of my customers getting cut to beat up, and thrown into a trash can and I’m not saying society is still where it needs to be, we are the southern southern bible belt, but it has advanced greatly over the years,” he said.
Pulse is also known as the place to be in Myrtle Beach if you are involved in the drag world, according to Alex Hernandez who is a drag king at Pulse and goes by Axel Rey.
He said anyone can come to Pulse to “come dance” or “have fun.”
“One memory at Pulse that I really liked is when they did Knock Down, Drag Out on Mondays in season one, and I participated, I didn’t win, but I participated and that just showed anybody could come out, like anybody that wanted to give themselves a chance to do drag, but felt scared, could still show their talent no matter if they were just starting to do drag,” Hernandez said.
He also said that he has seen all kinds of people enjoying the vibes at Pulse, whether they are coming for a “good drink at the bar” or to “see a great drag show.” He also said that for some, Pulse is their regular hangout spot.
“Everyone treats each other with so much love, much support and everyone is there for each other,” Hernandez said.
Phillips is looking forward to having his now ten-year-old nightclub continue to serve the diverse people of Horry County.
“I’m gracious that I’ve worked in the community long enough and I’m very thankful that I’ve had the following that we’ve had that, I can’t thank the gay community enough for supporting me for these 10 years,” he said.
