Armistead Maupin, who wrote a little book you might’ve heard of called Tales in the City, is on a book tour in Australia this week when his husband Christopher Turner tried to use the bathroom during lunch at Bojangles Saloon in Alice Springs, in central Australia, when the bartender told him he’d have to find another place to piss: the men’s room is for “real men” only.
According to Mr Maupin, they were told to take a seat, after which Mr Maupin’s husband Chris asked if he could use a rest room. “The guy said, sorry, we don’t have one in here but you can go across the street to the public facility.” Mr Maupin, who had used the toilet in Bojangles the day before, said he pointed in the direction of the toilet and said ‘what’s that over there?’ “[The barman] gave me a very pointed look and said that’s reserved for ‘real men’,” said Mr Maupin. “Neither one of us could quite believe he’d said it, and he actually repeated it, [he said] ‘see the sign on the door, it says gents, it’s for real men.'”
Mr Maupin and Mr Turner immediately left the establishment and made an official complaint at the Visitor Information Centre. “I think it was less than 24 hours later that we got an email from Peter Griggs in the tourism office saying he’d spoken to the proprieter of the business who was just as shocked as we were and that the man had extended his apologies.”
I think the only reasonable punishment for the staffer, if he isn’t fired, is obvious: cleaning the bathroom for the next six month.
Harbo
Looks like the United States isn’t the only country where homophobia is aive and well. Hope that guy was fired on the spot.
patrick
The whole world is full of stupid cretins! I would pissed all over the bar.
Will
Alice Springs IS in the dead centre of Australia, could say it’s akin to the deep south of the US. But then again, it’s where the climax of Priscilla is set!
Spike
I would have headed into the bathroom and seriously missed the urinal, then as I left, advise the bartender that the mens room needs cleaning.
Codswallop
This is almost funny because the guy in Bojangles picked just about the absolute WORST gay person in the world to pull this bigoted BS on. If he had done this (and maybe he has) to some random tourist, chances are decent that person would have just thought “fuck a bunch of you” and not complained to any official board. Even if they had the event likely wouldn’t make the news, including gay blogs like Queerty.
To paraphrase Bogart in ‘Casablanca’: “Of all the chicken joints in all the towns in all the world, Armistead Maupin walks into mine.”
This guy is toast.
JuicyBoots
hmm, queerty, not to be nit picky, but it’s tales of the city. sometimes i forget why this site’s writing infuriates me, thanks for reminding me!
Eamonn
Welcome to Australia (where gay marriage was made illegal in 2004 – thanks John Howard – 60% of people now support it though).
Not all Australian’s are like this – I love tails of the city. I’m not surprised though, a lot of straight Aussie men are intimidated by gay people – after all, all we want to do is convert them.
Ian
I passed Mr. Maupin on a street corner once on Divisadero & Market a decade ago and we exchanged a quick glance & I always thought that he simply must be a facinating conversationalist on top of author.