Pub chain apologises after Labour Party gay group is refused service in sexuality row
A pub chain has apologised after a gay group claimed it was refused service in a row over their sexuality.
The Labour Party’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual Society said the duty manager at The Greencoat Boy pub in Westminster refused to serve them because they were gay.
Pub owner Punch Taverns admitted the group were denied service and said it had launched an urgent investigation.
Sorry: Management at The Greencoat Boy pub in Westminster have apologised for refusing service to a Labour Party gay group
James Asser, co-chair of the LGBT Labour said: ‘Turning people away for being gay is outrageous — he should have been defending his customers from homophobia.
‘Everyone involved was shocked and www.travestis-lisboa.beauty outraged.This attitude is totally unacceptable in this day and age.
‘What century are we living in here?’
He continued: ‘When you encounter prejudice you have to stand up and be counted — at the very least we expect an apology.
‘We also want a demonstration that the pub chain takes this very seriously and will make sure it never happens again.’
The police were also called and statements were taken from three of the LGBT Labour leaders.
A spokesman for the pub group said: ‘Punch Taverns seeks to provide welcoming venues to everyone.We are shocked and saddened that a group of our guests did not experience this and would like to apologise’.
He added: ‘We would however like to stress that this is an isolated incident and is not representative of our commitment to diversity.
‘We are currently conducting a full investigation of the incident and will report back to the Labour LGBT group with our findings.’
The incident became the most viewed trend on Twitter prompting messages of support from Sarah Brown, wife of the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, John Prescott, a former Deputy Prime Minister, and Sally Bercow, the wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow.
Mr Prescott Tweeted in support: ‘Forty years ago we campaigned against a Hull pub that banned «women and queers».
‘This is disgraceful.’