A group of gay men are claiming they were subject to unfair treatment at the Chico's Taco's restaurant chain in El Paso, Texas. Two of the men were kissing, and were told to leave by security guards.
The men reported this to local media:
"We went, sat down to eat our food and security guards came and said that if they kept doing that, they were going to throw us all out of the restaurant."The restaurant has responded to the media with "no comment" and the All American International Security team stands by their two guards, claiming the men were loud.
Carlos said he then asked them why? Their response, according to Carlos: "They said 'we didn't allow that gay stuff to go on here.'" (KVIA)
The two men proceeded to seek help from the police department who responded that:
"It was against the law for two males and two females to kiss in public, that they could cite us for homosexual activity." (KVIA)While the anti-gay law does remain on the books, it has been struck down in 2003 and no longer enforced. The police department maintains that the new officer misinterepreted the law.
Demand that Chico's Taco's and the AAIS apologize for this incident and implement a program to train their employees to respect diversity training inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Chico's Taco's
4230 Alameda Ave
El Paso, TX 79905
(915) 533-0975
All American International Security
915-778-9880
P.O. Box 27109; El Paso, Texas 79926-7109
info@bradfordsecurity.com
Posts
28 comments:
I think every gay man in town should go there and make out......and if they get arrested they will be set for life after they sue the force...for wrongful arrest. the "gay" law was stricken in 2003......
sock it to them...make em pay...stupid people should change the state name to TEXASS!
Just never, ever, ever, ever go to Texas. Nothing but trouble for us gay bois.
Our city is surprisingly gay friendly. I do agree with EPPD spokesman Chris Mears when he says the policeman misinterpreted the law, but that also means there is obviously some lack of training on behalf of the department. Chico's Tacos and AISC SHOULD issue an apology and enforce sensitivity and diversity training for all employees. I'm up for going to this Chico's location as a large, diverse group.
I'm from El Paso and feel very ashamed at the reaction from the restaurant and the EPPD.
We aren't all as close-minded as these individuals.
Um...I don't like PDA (public displays of affection.)
I kiss my guy at the airport in a generic european 'hello/good-bye' kind of way, but I really don't like seeing people make out in public, regardless of their sexual orientation (I'm gay btw), especially when I'm choking down on trashy fast food while going about my day. If I had kids, I wouldn't want them gawking at that, no matter what the gender combination was.
I don't care if that makes me a prude. It's just not civilized to express one's lust in public (except in an appropriate venue, like Pride or Southern Decadence, or maybe discretely in a bar full of adults.)
There's a reason people say "get a room...."
Get a room.
I lived in El Paso and can tell you that I never experienced any type of close-minded nonsense like this! They are very Gay friendly in EL Paso. I will think twice next time I roll through and decide that I have missed Chicos Tacos...
Blogger,
Please be advised that you have accused the incorrrect security company in this matter. The company in question is "All American International Security", not the company you have incorrectly listed in your blog. "All American International Security" is www.bradfordsecurity.com.
Please remove the incorrect information forthwith.
Wow. Just checked out the above poster's information at bradfordsecurity.com. It sure looks like it's accurate information. Everything there says "All American International Security; AAIS" and not "AISC". All of the contact information on this blog site in no way matches.
Can anyone clarify/verify? I'd really be disappointed to know my diatribe was wasted because it got sent to the wrong address...if you know what I mean? Thanks.
Found an article regarding the matter at El Paso Times website:
http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_12784517
The last paragraph states the name of the security agency as "All American International Security."
Google/Scroogle "All American International Security" with quotations, and you get:
www.bradfordsecurity.com as suggested by an earlier post. (It also shows various directory listings and advertising associated web addresses.)
That website has different, multiple contact information for that security agency, and does not match the information on this blog site.
If the El Paso Times has correctly recorded and reported the security agency as "All American International Security; AAIS," then the information on this blog site may be incorrect.
If the owner of the blog would please verify source, and confirm or retract the contact information for the security agency, that would be appreciated to all who wish to express their concerns to that company.
If the information you've posted is incorrect, you might want to post an apology to that company. They've probably got a maxed out mail box about now, maybe even a timed-out server, and that can't be fun for them.
Recap: source: El Paso Times (online)
Article information reports: security agency: All American International Security (AAIS)
AAIS = bradfordsecurity.com
bradfordsecurity.com has contact information for El Paso, Amarillo, Lubbock, and Dallas.
Seems a little more reasonable than Boston, MA.
I personally work at a restaurant and have had straight couples all the time literally making out at a table and never has my manager ever gone up to one and said for them to stop, let alone kick them out. Plus nowhere in that report does it specify how much tongue action was exchanged. They could have jut pecked and been treated that way. Either way nobody likes to see anytype of pda while your out at a restaurant. I think if they had been a straight couple that situation would not have happened, I mean seriously its chicos tacos, I've seen all type of raunchiness there. People all of a sudden wanna talk about "its a family restaurant" please!!!
again this situation would have not occured if it had been a straight couple. And if the group was being rowdy the security should have asked them to leave without using any discrimonatory language. And as far as the El Paso Police Department little can be said for them, you'd expect that type of ignorance to come from them.
My opinion is that, whilst a simple kiss between men shouldn't raise negative reactions, excessive PDA from anyone, be they gay or hetero, should be avoided, save in particular places or occasions when they are appropriate, Obviously, there should be equal treatment equal situations, and unfortunately this is not the case in many places.
You know, after that western politican spewed her hate about queers, I went to a bi brunch where one of the women was knitting the loveliest blue sweater. Then my local LGBT Center had a bingo night (I admit it, I LOVE bingo), and my gay neighbor had his whole huge Italian family over for Thanksgiving (I'm included), 20 people, must have been 20 courses, all the elderly relatives were there... And here we queer people are, worried that children might see something inappropriate at a restaurant. I think about the haters' view of us as such deviants, and these moments of pure normality and niceness just make me think I LOVE QUEERS!!!!
I must apologize for the incorrect information. The difference in company names is that the correct one is "All American International Security" and when I originally searched out contact info, I did not include the "All" and found the other. I sincerely apologize for the mistake and have corrected the info above.
Are you kidding me? Two gay men actually were told to leave the restaurant? What the hell is the world coming to these days. Actually one of my friends was coming home from pride one night and well someone that was anti gay ran her over. Then the cop that reprimanded the guy and took him to jail and said"If she wasn't gay he wouldn't of ran her over."
Hey, I'm the guy that wrote above about not liking PDA. Well, I followed the other poster's link to the article, and according to it, the two guys were not making out, they just gave each other a peck.
If anyone tries to drag me off for giving my guy an average, everyday peck on the check (or lips) my foot's going up their a s s in a bad way, starting with an attorney, and ending with a new BMW.
U GOT THAT TEX-ASS?!
People dissecting what is an appropriate/inappropriate PDA are apparently victim to the puritanical strain still running through our culture.
I've seen the full range of PDA practiced by the straight community in a full range of public places. None of them ever got in trouble and neither should we.
Jose, I am from El Paso also and I do not want to go to an eating place and see people especially gay making out. Yes it is 2009 and we have come a long ways in openness but there are still some things that should not be done in public. I am married and I don't make out with my wife in public. There is a time and a place for every thing. CHILL
Chicos, yo tengo que decir que si uno handa con el vergon parado y besando a chicos o chicas en publico hay un problema. Eso se hace en privado ademas si es un hombre y una mujer eso es perfectamente aceptado porque ashi siempre hasido, el gay es algo raro en los ojos de la mayoria de la gente, No lo chingen para todos.
anon at 1:22 the fact is millions of straight couples do engage in public display of affection and nobody blinks an eye, while you may not like it, and many gay couples don't either, gays should not be unfairly targeted.
another thing that most people fail to mention is that most patrons who often visit chico's tacos come from a night of drinking including the straigh couple who are all over each other most of the time because they're have sloshed, and I've never seen any guard tell them to settled down at any time that I have visited that restraurant, and for those who claim that its bad for the kids. I wasn't aware that your family frequented a resturant at 12:30 AM? Odd?
Chico’s Five’ gay kiss – El Paso top cop vows diversity training
http://tinyurl.com/mobun3
The Gay Community and further more every citizen will no longer stand idly by when faced with any kind of discrimination, in this case discrimination based on sexual orientation.
I live in El Paso and it was a shameful situation. The police were wrong, the restaurant was wrong. They need to accept it.
Having lived in El Paso a couple of years, 2002 to 2004, I found it to be gay-friendly. I'm from the "bible-belt, south" and while living there me, my partner and his 2 children lived on the East side of town. I thought we may have some issues with our neighbors, but never experienced it. We had frequented Chico's several times and knowing this I would never patronize their business for their actions.
Regardless whether your gay or not, there are things that should be done in private. If not then why not fart, pick your nose scratch your ass, balls etc. I mean its a right, after all. The hell with decency, and manners , cause yea its your right to be rude arrogant abnoxious etc. Oh those two poor victim, why cant they just let them screw right there, its a right after all. Typical mexican always looking for the easy way to make a buck or anything for that matter. Its not a question about being gay , but decency. You can yell in church, although not proper but again it your right to yell. As far as the a -hole who says sue the PD and be set for life, (fantasy world) yea that will solve the problem , probaly right! Probably some lazy ass union memeber looking for that easy buck so that he doesn't have to work.
I come from El Paso and I must say that this was the best thing to happen to this city. It brought visibility and action to an otherwise dead, ignored, and stagnant community here.
thanks for the info it will help me
Post a Comment