Posted on 07/03/2007 9:52:45 AM PDT by BJClinton
NEW YORK (AP) -- A bouncer at a popular West Village restaurant ejected a lesbian customer from the bathroom after last month's gay pride march because she looked too masculine, the woman charged Monday.
Khadijah Farmer, 27, said the incident happened June 24 at Caliente Cab Company on Seventh Avenue South, where she had gone with her girlfriend and another friend to have dinner after the march.
Farmer said she was using the women's bathroom when a male bouncer burst in and banged on the stall door, saying a customer had complained that there was a man in the women's room.
"I said, 'I am a woman and I am where I am supposed to be,'" Farmer said. "I offered to show him some identification. I was told that's neither here nor there."
Caliente Cab Company, a Mexican restaurant known for its enormous margaritas and checker-cab decor, did not immediately return a call for comment.
Farmer said the bouncer escorted her to her table and forced her party to pay their check and leave.
"I felt embarrassed and humiliated," said Farmer, a Manhattan resident who works as a counselor at a residential program for people with disabilities. "I'm just hurt that even my wanting to prove that I'm female wasn't enough."
Farmer is being represented by the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, which is demanding that the restaurant train its staff not to discriminate on the basis of gender identity and expression. No formal complaint or lawsuit has been filed.
New York City law prevents discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
Farmer is not a transgender person, but she said her appearance is masculine enough that she is sometimes mistaken for a man.
"I'm never upset with that," she said. "I say very kindly, 'I'm female.' Usually I get, 'I'm so sorry.'"
You're right, I'll concede that. But personally I couldn't care less about someone being gay or not... We've all seen plenty of tall, butch straight women too. If this really happened the way she says it did then she deserves an apology.
Yes, and if she knowingly presents herself to the world in a manner that normal people would naturally perceive as being male, then she needs to expect to be treated this way. With perverts and sex-criminals crawling out of the woodwork these days, people are naturally sensitive to irregularities and potential hazards in this arena.
If 'she' doesn't like it, she could try growing her hair out, wearing a dress, or doing other things that will put people at ease. If she doesn't do such simple things then she needs to be prepared to accept the consequences.
And yes, it seems that these consequences are now being utilized by her in an attempt to secure a monetary settlement from a business that is legitimately concerned with protecting it's customers.
when whe was born,
she gave the hospital stretch marks.
Seeing her in a dress would not put anyone at ease.
blinkblink
Point taken :-)
One would hope that if 'she' were even remotely concerned with putting others at ease, a radical change over to feminine attire would be only one step of many down the appropriate path.
when she got hit by a bus,
she said, “Who threw that rock?”
Went to Japan and was declared undisputed sumo champ the moment she arrived
I wonder if the bouncer was a guy. If so, he just made the “privacy” of the women’s restroom even less so. The restaurant is at fault here, regardless of the woman’s agenda. (BTW, I think homosexuality is pretty darn gross.)
Just be glad there isn’t anything in the story about anyone’s being injected...
discrimination because somebody is UGLY is allowed.
LOOKism is allows.
We do it all the time by discriminating in favor of the beautiful.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.