Gay couple humiliated after being asked to leave Dublin restaurant

A gay couple celebrating their anniversary in a Dublin restaurant were asked to leave by a waiter after complaints were issued by diners at another table.

According to a letter published in November’s Issue of Irish magazine GCN, the writer claims he was asked to leave the restaurant because other customers became “uncomfortable” as he held his partner’s hand.

“My partner and I were in a Dublin city centre restaurant celebrating our second anniversary and we were being physically tactile with each other. Not kissing the faces of each other or anything, but holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes,” the letter read.

“A waiter came to out table and told us that customers at another table were complaining about us. He suggested that we stop showing each other physical affection.”

Source: Independent.ie

In all honesty, this would piss me off too; if people feel uncomfortable with PDA and homosexuality, then that is their own issue and shouldn't inflict their own misgivings on others.

Diamond Doll

It's a pity it doesn't say what restaurant it is. I would be interested to hear their side of things. And if the couple's version of events is true, I'd like to know where it is to avoid it.

strelok

that's disgraceful, it's not like they were breastfeeding

The Backwards Man

The ones that complained are bad enough, but if somebody working for me pulled a trick like that they'd be sacked on the spot. With a boot up the hole on their way out the door.

MJI

Last time I checked it was 2015. And we live in "post marriage-referendum" Ireland.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Independent shouldn't be putting this out if they can't verify that it actually happened. They could destroy somebodies business.

Penn

Can't wait for the inevitable "We have nothing against gay people. Honestly, I have gay friends who use my restaurant all the time! We just ask that homosexuals don't try to act like normal people in our restaurant."

Sonics2k

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Independent shouldn't be putting this out if they can't verify that it actually happened. They could destroy somebodies business.

They didn't name the business?

DEFTLEFTHAND

DP

The Backwards Man

The Backwards Man wrote: »

The ones that complained are bad enough, but if somebody working for me pulled a trick like that they'd be sacked on the spot. With a boot up the hole on their way out the door.

This is the biggest issue with this whole "customer is king" mentality that a lot of service industries have. Someone complains and management are almost compelled to do something about it, even if they don't agree with it.

NomadicGray

Disgraceful if true

darkpagandeath

Shocking, Maybe we should edit that film about the referendum and show what still goes on after it was passed... You know the one promoting how tolerant Ireland is.

hatrickpatrick

Name and shame.

The King of Moo

I hope the restaurant is named eventually.
It's ridiculous to give in to stupid complaints like that, and makes me think maybe someone involved with the restaurant were also not too happy with the couple holding hands.

Otherwise, the appropriate response to the people complaining would be:
"I'm sorry, but people hold hands in public all the time and the vast majority of people don't find it offensive. No-one here at this restaurant considers there to be anything wrong with people holding hands. We're sorry that this has upset you, but we won't ask the couple to change their behaviour or leave."

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Deleted User wrote: »

Source: Independent.ie

In all honesty, this would piss me off too; if people feel uncomfortable with PDA and homosexuality, then that is their own issue and shouldn't inflict their own misgivings on others.

If it makes you uncomfortable, then that is an issue you need to address, not the people involved.

I'm also curious to know if you'd be comfortable with a heterosexual couple holding hands. If not, why not, and if so why?

(Just regarding the specific article: I'm very suspicious of articlaes like this where there's no specific names, locations or definite infortmation: are we talking factual event here or urban myth?)

smash

MJI wrote: »

Last time I checked it was 2015. And we live in "post marriage-referendum" Ireland.

Yea, I can't wait until "post abortion-referendum" Ireland so we can have abortions in restaurants....


Honestly, the referendum makes no difference in this argument. It's a couple who were holding hands. It doesn't matter if they're legally allowed get married now that it's 2015. Even if the referendum hadn't passed they should have been allowed hold hands for christ sake.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

If it makes you uncomfortable, then that is an issue you need to address, not the people involved.

I'm also curious to know if you'd be comfortable with a heterosexual couple holding hands. If not, why not, and if so why?

Are you asking me if I have an issue with it? Holding hands? Hell no. Making out? Probably. But I'd feel the same about heterosexual couples too, because I'm single and bitter right now :pac:

TerrorFirmer

Somehow I feel there's something more to it. Asked to leave because they were just holding hands? In a city center restaurant? And customers called them 'disgusting' as they walked out in shame? It seems highly dramatic. Homer Simpson and the Babysitter springs to mind.

GLaDOS

On paper it looks pretty bad alright, important to remember we are only getting one side of the story though.

emersyn

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Independent shouldn't be putting this out if they can't verify that it actually happened. They could destroy somebodies business.

I wish...

6541

Well its not really nice to see any couple do this be they male or female or fluid or sub terrain or Bosnian or even African Elephant. Do they not know the rule no public displays of affection ! this thread will end well....

The Backwards Man

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

If it makes you uncomfortable, then that is an issue you need to address, not the people involved.

I'm also curious to know if you'd be comfortable with a heterosexual couple holding hands. If not, why not, and if so why?

Ummm :pac:

smash

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Somehow I feel there's something more to it. Asked to leave because they were just holding hands? In a city center restaurant? And customers called them 'disgusting' as they walked out in shame? It seems highly dramatic. Homer Simpson and the Babysitter springs to mind.

I get the feeling there's more to it too. Otherwise the restaurant would have been named.

jobbridge4life

6541 wrote: »

Well its not really nice to see any couple do this be they male or female or fluid or sub terrain or Bosnian or even African Elephant. Do they not know the rule no public displays of affection ! this thread will end well....

Not nice to hold hands in a restaurant and look at each-other? Imagine if your mind can stretch to it the horror of someone proposing in a restaurant, they'd be strung up.

wakka12

Im gay and I really find it hard to believe this happened..What restaurant would be stupid enough to pull a stunt like this after the controversy with the cake shop stuff

bigpink

So what if they were a bit ott and steamy is it wrong for people to complain that are enjoyibg there dinner?

The Backwards Man

ScienceNerd wrote: »

On paper it looks pretty bad alright, important to remember we are only getting one side of the story though.

Anyone that has ever had to eject a gay black midget from a premises for taking a crap in the urinal agrees with this.

brevity

Disappointing really. The couple aren't the ones that should have been asked to leave, the people complaining should be.

jamesbere

I've a feeling there's something more to this. Would be nice to hear the restaurants side

Keyzer

ScienceNerd wrote: »

On paper it looks pretty bad alright, important to remember we are only getting one side of the story though.

A sh1t paper at that...

I'd hold back passing judgement on this until verified and the restaurant in question have right to reply. Articles in the Indo these days are written by chimps...

NomadicGray

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Somehow I feel there's something more to it. Asked to leave because they were just holding hands? In a city center restaurant? And customers called them 'disgusting' as they walked out in shame? It seems highly dramatic. Homer Simpson and the Babysitter springs to mind.

I hear the guy complaining sleeps nude in an oxygen tent which he believes gives him sexual powers!

jobbridge4life

wakka12 wrote: »

Im gay and I really find it hard to believe this happened..What restaurant would be stupid enough to pull a stunt like this after the controversy with the cake shop stuff

Just because you are gay does not mean you understand or have an extra insight to the totality of gay human experience.

That said, I do normally find these stories suspect a lot of the time because they tend to more often than not involve attention seeking types. On this occasion the complainant has chosen to remain anonymous and not to reveal the restaurant so I don't know.

Jon Stark

It's pretty appalling.

However I find it hard to believe this could really happen in this day and age. There's probably a little more to the story than being let on. Otherwise they must have attended one sh1thole of a restaurant.

kneemos

I too find it unlikely.Bad publicity,possible lawsuit.
Unless the complainer was a mafia boss I don't see the motivation.

Sounds believable.

wakka12

jobbridge4life wrote: »

Just because you are gay does not mean you understand or have an extra insight to the totally gay human experience.

That said, I do normally find these stories suspect a lot of the time because they tend to more often than not involve attention seeking types. On this occasion the complainant has chosen to remain anonymous and not to reveal the restaurant so I don't know.

I know..I didnt mean it like that. Just I hold hands with my boyfriend in lots of clubs and restaurants and other venues all over Dublin city and we've received remarkably little trouble over it during the 6 months we've been together. People in Dublin for the most part seem so liberal and accepting, and those who arent seem to just turn their heads but never give us any problems. So thats why I find the story extremely hard to believe

looksee

I think there is a level of behaviour in a restaurant that would make other diners a bit uncomfortable, but you would have to be there to know what that level was.

Ok so they were not kissing, but if they were acting in a way that would attract attention they should have been asked to stop. Most people have the cop on to act reasonably without having to be asked. What gender they were is absolutely irrelevant, I would no more want to have to be distracted by a heterosexual couple being exhibitionist about whatever they were celebrating.

Everyone in the restaurant is there for their own reason and should be able to concentrate on their own event/meal without having to work round someone else's.

jobbridge4life

wakka12 wrote: »

I know..I didnt mean it like that. Just I hold hands with my boyfriend in lots of clubs and restaurants and other venues all over Dublin city and we've received remarkably little trouble over it during the 6 months we've been together. People in Dublin for the most part seem so liberal and accepting, and those who arent seem to just turn their heads but never give us any problems. So thats why I find the story extremely hard to believe

I understand but that is the thing about it, you never feel it or anticipate it until the day it happens to you. For all we know the couple involved may have felt the same way until that night. Clearly they did feel comfortable enough to hold hands. I wouldn't feel that way. It was only Sunday when I was walking back from a restaurant with my OH and a group of lads shouted '******s' at us and then laughed and shouted 'gay boys' as we continued down the street. That was on a street that comes of St Stephens Green btw so not deepest darkest Dublin either and we weren't holding hands or anything.

Unfortunately crap like this happens.

ScumLord

If this actually happened it's outrageous. I would have assumed that any business would do everything in their power to avoid that kind of ****storm, one disgruntled customer is nothing compared to the abuse they could end up receiving from the general population.


I think there's probably way more to this story. At this point it's nothing more than gossip, if facebook gets involved it will probably destroy that business regardless of what actually happened. That's why I'd be shocked if a business brought it on themselves.

Duggy747

Yea, I think there's a lot more to this story than what we're being told.

jobbridge4life

looksee wrote: »

I think there is a level of behaviour in a restaurant that would make other diners a bit uncomfortable, but you would have to be there to know what that level was.

It is quite clear that the individual involved is aware of that. The point is they were subjected to a different standard due to their sexuality (allegedly).

looksee wrote: »

Ok so they were not kissing, but if they were acting in a way that would attract attention they should have been asked to stop. Most people have the cop on to act reasonably without having to be asked. What gender they were is absolutely irrelevant, I would no more want to have to be distracted by a heterosexual couple being exhibitionist about whatever they were celebrating.

Everyone in the restaurant is there for their own reason and should be able to concentrate on their own event/meal without having to work round someone else's.

People literally propose to one another in a restaurants. Its hard to get more intimate than that without you know actually getting 'intimate'. I don't get your automatic assumption that these individuals must have been molesting each other graphically.

after that pre-referendum wedding cake fiasco etc?? you're mad if you believe this clown of a writer trying to fill space. sure we can all start quoting the TRUE stories in bleeding bella magazine without checking them out either from now on! INDEPENDENT.. one word.. SOURCE!bull**** story if you aske me.

Fratton Fred

Maybe I'm being too forgiving to the restaurant, but I find it hard to believe this happened in this day and age.

I suspect there's more to the story, but if there isn't, then the restaurant should be named and shamed.

Caoimhgh1n

That's disgraceful, if the couple asked for the straight people to be kicked out, it would be completely different.


Tá sé 2015, Fás suas!

It's 2015, Grow up!

looksee

jobbridge4life wrote: »

It is quite clear that the individual involved is aware of that. The point is they were subjected to a different standard due to their sexuality (allegedly).



People literally propose to one another in a restaurants. Its hard to get more intimate than that without you know actually getting 'intimate'. I don't get your automatic assumption that these individuals must have been molesting each other graphically.

And I am making the point that if their behaviour was causing concern to other diners then the restaurant was entitled to ask them to stop; they are claiming it was a sexuality issue, but we do not know that. I am not jumping to any conclusions, i am pointing out that regardless of sexuality people should behave with consideration for other patrons in a restaurant. As several people have said, we only have one side of the argument here.

Harry Palmr

This is barely half a story and as such hard to take seriously regardless of the incident's nature.

jobbridge4life

looksee wrote: »

And I am making the point that if their behaviour was causing concern to other diners then the restaurant was entitled to ask them to stop; they are claiming it was a sexuality issue, but we do not know that. I am not jumping to any conclusions, i am pointing out that regardless of sexuality people should behave with consideration for other patrons in a restaurant. As several people have said, we only have one side of the argument here.

I agree with you to a point, but being in a restaurant is being in a public space so imho you have to treat it as such and part of that is tolerating a certain level of behaviour that one personally might not like.

Holding hands, longing looks those are not anywhere close to the bounds of acceptability and as such any complaint about it should be ignored. Likewise I wouldn't tolerate a complaint about a lady breastfeeding or a person crying.

We do only have one side of the story but the individual hasn't sought out attention or attacked the restaurant so I'm being more generous than I would otherwise.

Grab All Association

If this did happen I bet you it was at a restaurant called something like باكستاني Kebabs

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Deleted User wrote: »

Are you asking me if I have an issue with it? Holding hands? Hell no. Making out? Probably. But I'd feel the same about heterosexual couples too, because I'm single and bitter right now :pac:

Ah, I misread your openign post - sorry! Thought you said you were uncomfortable with the holding hands part.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Grab All Association wrote: »

If this did happen I bet you it was at a restaurant called something like باكستاني Kebabs

COuld just as easily have been a catholic one, if such a thing existed!

To Elland Back

I was in a restaurant once when the hetero couple beside us started with all that 'No, I love YOU more' nonsense at full volume and pawing all over eachother. It pissed me off and it was very intrusive. If the gay couple were at that, it would affect me the same, no better, no worse. I know they are quoted as just holding hands, but I would like to hear the other side