A year ago two gay men were kicked out of a Chico’s Tacos restaurant in El Paso for kissing — and even threatened with arrest under the state’s unconstitutional sodomy statute. In response, David Cooper is opening a “gay restaurant” in El Paso to serve as a sanctuary. KFOX 14 reports:
Cooper said Kobe will provide a comfortable and upscale environment for all without fear of judgment or discrimination.
“Whether you’re gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, or you know whatever the case may be, often it’s difficult for people in the gay community to just interact in society without being harassed or berated in some way,” said Cooper.
Cooper said the idea has been in the works for about a year since two men were kicked out of Chico’s Tacos, reportedly for kissing.
“So when that event transpired, it was just evident to me that the time was overdue for a facility, an upscale offering from the food and beverage standpoint, a restaurant for the gay community,” said Cooper.
One of the men involved in the Chico’s incident is now helping to promote Kobe.
Is this really an effective response? It sounds like self-segregation — or separate but equal — to me. What do you think?
I totally agree with the opening of a restaurant that is “gay friendly”, where we can be ourselves without fear of being tossed out the door. However, why do we have to advertise it as such? That’s what makes it look like we are separating ourselves to force equality and it makes us look bad, kinda like we are throwing a temper tantrum, like we’re saying “If you won’t let us play the way we want to, we will build our own playground”. I just hope I live long enough to see the day when none of this stuff is an issue. A day when I don’t have to have “the talk” with my employer or new friends I meet so that I can tell them before someone else does, that I’m gay. Straight people don’t have to announce, why do we??
Until we are treated equally everywhere, I think this is a GREAT idea. I do hope they are going to keep straight people from kissing in the restaraunt. LOL.
I see the opening of a gay friendly restaurant in El Paso no different from what we have in our own “gayborhood”. There are many people in our community who would rather stay within the safety net of the gayborhood than have to deal with the hassle of being stared at or harassed in other establishments. Does that make it right? Probably not. Does that give us the right in Dallas to judge this business venture and it’s effectiveness? Probably not either.
“Is this really an effective response? It sounds like self-segregation — or separate but equal — to me. What do you think?”
I agree. El Paso gay culture is not so far behind the rest of the world and isolated to warrant the response of the business owner. If this were the early 1970s this would be news in El Paso but not today.
“Straight people don’t have to announce, why do we??” I agree but an entertainment writer for this paper frequently is obsessed with such announcements.