Tag Archives: anti-gay harassment

NYC Restaurant Bagatelle Sued After Manager Writes Up Bartender for Looking ‘Like a Faggot’

NYC Restaurant Bagatelle Sued After Manager Writes Up Bartender for Looking ‘Like a Faggot’

The New York City, Meatpacking district restaurant Bagatelle is finding itself being sued once again this time for one of it’s manager’s “writing up” a gay bartender for dressing “like a faggot.”

“(He) wears Barbie T-shirt behind the bar. Terrance looked like a gay porn star,” said the write-up, of bartender Terrance McCleveland, according to the New York Daily News.

McCleveland says the write-up was retaliation for going over the manager’s head to the owner in a request for a schedule change.

McCleveland continues to work at Bagatelle “because he can make a good living and not all bartending jobs are as lucrative” and says that management has not apologized to him, and directed coworkers to watch him.

McCleveland said he had been wearing “a plain black T-shirt — a little smaller than usual” — but there was nothing on it about Barbie.

“He put it on the bar for everyone to see. McCleveland says he was “embarrassed and humiliated” by the manager, who was suspended for a week.

He’s suing for more than $1 million in damages.

Bagatelle is also the subject of another lawsuit, according to the NYDN:

Last month, the restaurant was sued in Manhattan Federal Court, accused of discriminating against diners who are minorities by banishing them to cramped tables out of sight. 

A spokesman for Bagatelle issued a statement saying that the owners “take any allegation that suggests we discriminate against our employees or our patrons very seriously and we want to assure everyone that we do not allow or condone discrimination of any kind.

“While we don’t comment on pending litigation, we intend to defend ourselves vigorously against these claims.”

Colorado Lesbian Couple Harassed With “Kill The Gays” Messages And A Noose On Thier Doorstep

Christel Conklin and Aimee Whitchurch. a Parker, Colorado lesbian couple have become targeted victims of frightening anti-gay harassment at their subrban home

On Friday the couple found spray painted on their garage “Kill The Gays” and then one day later, someone left a noose at their doorstep.

“You get words like ‘homos’ or ‘you’re going to burn in hell’ and things of that nature, but ‘kill the gay?’ That’s a threat against our lives so it was overwhelming,” says Aimee Whitchurch. “The noose is where it really became shocking and scary.”

The couple has notified Parker police who are investigating. .    

“You don’t know who is targeting you,” Whitchurch says. “At first I thought it was kids until the noose.”

The couple says the Home Owners Association tried to paint over the hate message but the haphazard way they tried to paint the garage door is another example of the harassment they have to live through.

Aimee and Christel put up signs on the garage door that read “We will not submit to hate” and “Don’t cover it, solve it.”

The couple says despite what they are going through, they aren’t leaving.

“We’re the white Rosa Parks,” Conklin says. “We’re not getting off the bus.”

Bravo ladies!  Hold fast. BUT BE CAREFUL!

Let everyone see the kind of monsters are out there!

Anti-Gay Bigots Harass Actors and Vandalize Theatre Presenting RENT in Nashville TN

Anti-gay bigots have harassed actors and vandalized the historic Nashville Dinner Theatre in Tennesse after recent performances of the hit Broadway musical RENT a rock opera with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson[1] based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

Actors in the show have been subjected to anti-gay slurs and being pelted by eggs outside the theatre and started tossing eggs at them and shouting anti-gay slurs. The doors of the theatre have been  papered with flyers and pamphlets for the local Church of Scientology and  handwritten notes claiming “God Hates Queers” and RENT advertisements were ripped down.

“It’s a shame that anyone would target RENT for any type of protests based on hate, since the show’s main theme is love and acceptance” admits Kaine Riggan, the owner of the theatre.  I wish I could offer the vandals some comp tickets to see the show, because I’m afraid they’ve missed the point.”

Via – Out & About Nashville

Lake Worth Florida’s Transgender City Manger Accused Of Anti-Gay Bias

Lake Worth, Florida in Palm Beach County isn’t your typical city. 

It’s a city that welcomes  eco-activists, has drum circle gatherings on the beach during full moons, encourages backyard farming and had no problem two years ago of hiring Susan Stanton (pictured left) to be their City Manger. who had previously lost her manager’s job in Largo, FL after she had a sex change operation.

But what makes Fort Worth and Stanton interesting is that she’s now the center of ant-gay accusations by The Cottage, a restaurant and bar, that says she’s using the city’s noise ordinance to shut down drag-queen-featuring tea dances at the establishment.

“I have never stated to anybody in my office that I’m offended with men in dresses – certainly given the fact that I’m a transsexual,” Stanton told a packed city commission hearing this week.

The Cottage has started an online petition against Stanton that had gathered about 1,400 signatures by Wednesday.  Cottage owner, owner, Loretta Lufty, claims in the petition that Stanton told her “men in dresses, and men dancing with men is offensive,” and asked her to stop the tea dances or “suffer the consequences.”

Stanton has replied that the petition is the result of a misconstrued conversation in which she was trying to keep the peace among downtown restaurants, and certainly not a product of her intolerance. “I have to be sensitive to this issue,” she said. “Often people who are not familiar with transgender expression are uncomfortable.”

Stanton also added that she had never been to The Cottage, and didn’t even know what a tea dance was.

“I thought a tea dance was one where people drank tea,” she said. “Just because I’m a transsexual doesn’t mean that I’m active in that.”
Via – Sun-Sentinel.com

Gay West Virgina Coal Miner Sues Over Widespread Anti-Gay Harrassment

Sam Hall, a gay coal miner in West Virginia is suing a Massey Energy Co. subsidiary, because co-workers in several mines have repeatedly harassed him because of his sexual orientation. Sam Hall maintains that he was subjected to verbal abuse and invective and lewd gestures by his supervisors and other miners, even after he complained to management.

“Mr. Hall is gay and, given his gender preference, has been harassed by both management and fellow miners. Due to management’s participation and provocation, most of the pervasive ongoing harassment has been caused or encouraged,” the suit states.

The suit, filed by Charleston lawyer Roger Forman, names Massey subsidiary Spartan Mining Co. and No. 2 Gas Mine foreman Randy Thomas as defendants.

Massey Energy vice president and general counsel Shane Harvey called the conduct alleged by Hall “despicable.”. “They are serious allegations, and we take them seriously. We are going to investigate it, and if any of them are true, we are going to take action swiftly to remedy the situation,” he said. “However, at this stage, they are just allegations, and we are going into the investigation with an open mind.”

It all started in 2007 after Hall went horseback riding with a co-worker, the mine’s superintendent, Scott Lansenese, allegedly said that Hall had a “Brokeback Mountain” moment.  After that Mark Delung, a chief electrician, used homophobic slurs and wrote them on Hall’s dinner bucket and then mine’s power center, Hall alleges. When he complained, and management told Delung to stop, the harassment escalated, including vandalism of Hall’s car, where co-workers attached a sign that read, “I like little boys,” according to the suit.

After complaining Hall wass sent to  work at No. 2 Gas Mine, he was again submitted to abuse, according to the suit. Co-workers allegedly shook their penises at Hall underground, and when they were told to stop or be fired, the situation escalated, with slurs being written on his locker.

Hall was then sent to work at No. 5 Block Mine, where the superintendent knew him from the Winifrede mine and would laugh at the abuse directed at Hall, the suit maintains. Hall became worried when the slurs escalated to violent threats, including “I would like to see all faggots die.”

In April 2010, Hall returned to the No. 2 Gas Mine, where mine foreman Randy Thomas engaged in persistent harassment, according to the suit. Mine superintendent Carl Lucas did nothing to stop the abuse and he continues to face threats and harassment.

Hall accuses Spartan Mining Co. and its management of creating an oppressive and hostile work environment, and making no effort to resolve physical threats based on his sexual preference

*The picture above is not Sam Hall or anyone related to this article.