In 2011, Joseph tweeted that straight people were not welcome to a One Direction gig at his London venue, stating: "My birthday wish is for little girls to realise that G-A-Y is a lesbian and gay club so there's only one direction and that’s no direction for them". Joseph was also embroiled in a scandal in which he was accused of racism by some social media users after blaming crime in Soho on 'Somalians "[sic]"'. Joseph apologised for his outbursts, but many commented that as a proponent of LGBT inclusivity, his own views on race were questionable, if not outright offensive.