Three women say they were kicked out of a bar in Victoria, Texas, because of their sexual orientation. The women claim an employee asked them to leave the Cactus Canyon on Aug. 24 and told them, “This is a country western bar, not a gay bar.” The Victoria Advocate reports:
“I got kicked out of Cactus for no reason,” Victoria resident Estefana Diaz said. “We were holding hands — that’s it.”
One of Cactus Canyon’s owners, Roger Gearheart, of Odessa, denied the women were asked to leave because of their sexual orientation.
“Those people weren’t kicked out because they’re gay. They acted inappropriately to each other,” Gearheart said. “We don’t discriminate.”
He also said he wanted to be clear his bar does not discriminate and the women could return as long as their behavior is appropriate.
Gearheart was not in the bar at the time, but stands behind his employee’s decision that the women’s behavior was not in good taste.
“No one wants to see that whether you’re gay or straight” he said.
When the women called police to file a complaint they were told the bar has the right to refuse service. There is no state or federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations. The women say they may boycott the Cactus Canyon.
Hmmm I wonder if they straight couples would be asked to leave for holding hands??? They don’t discriminate.. RIGHT!!!!!
Who cares?? Last I checked, businesses have the “right to refuse service to anyone”. If they don’t like it, go somewhere else that will accept them.
Josh has a point. Only, it’s easier to make that point in hindsight. When you first arrive inside a bar or restaurant, you probably don’t expect a waitress or bartender to come over to you and tell you you have to leave, because you were holding hands with your girlfriend. That’s not “inappropriate behavior”, as the owner (who didn’t see what came down) smugly commented. That’s his staff being rude. (Which accounts for the owners defensive comments I guess). The hard part of the ordeal isn’t picking a different place to go to, it’s suffering the embarrassment and indignity of being told to leave and having to walk out in front of other patrons. That’s like African Americans being told to “sit at the back of the bus”. Let’s not internal prejudice and think we deserve it Josh – we don’t. You gotta pick your battles. Gay rights are the newest in a long line of civil rights battles. This battle is important.
Sorry, about my typo. That should have said, “Let’s not internal prejudice and think we deserve it “…
LOL – the “i” on my keyboard is sticking. Once more with feeling: I should have said, “Let’s not INTERNALIZE prejudice and think we deserve it”…
Aren’t those country bars a fire trap anyways……………maybe it will burn to the ground……………
I dont even know where Victoria Texas is at. It sounds like a bunch of idiots work at that bar.