Gay customers at a new Macon, Ga., club said they were not allowed entrance because the owner was catering to a straight crowd and did not want people who "act gay" to scare others off.

According to a Saturday late report by WGXA-TV in Macon, the new club, Club Element, held its grand opening on Friday, March 4. The club on Cherry Street was formerly Synergy, a gay club.

On opening night, customers said they were turned away because they were gay.

"One of the bouncers pulled us out of the line and to the side and said this a straight club now and you aren’t allowed to act gay when you are in there," Colby Cain, a former Synergy customer, told WGXA-TV.

"She actually said we're trying to cater to straight people now and we don't want to scare them off," Mitch Kersey, who also frequented Synergy, said.

But the owner, Philip Sinclair, told the TV station it was a misunderstanding and he simply wanted gay patrons to know they should try to blend in with crowd at Element.

“One of the employees who is gay was going in the line telling people to be chill when they go in there. This is something we never dealt with before as far as mainstream club. We didn't want anyone getting hurt. We didn't want them going in there like they were walking into their old club and get hurt because it’s a whole different element in there," Sinclair told WGXA-TV.

On the Macon Out Facebook page, Colby Cain said, "Club Element (formerly synergy) refuses gay patrons stating 'This is a straight club, act straight or be escorted out' we need to stand together and stop/prevent bigotry like this ... I've never been treated this way and am completely offended! we have to take a stand!!"

A planned boycott was to be held Saturday night in front of the club.