“I was initially shocked. This is Portland,” said Kate Neal (right) after she, her girlfriend Shankako Devoll and their friend were kicked out of a cab and left stranded on the highway early Friday morning.
According to Neal, she and Devoll were being affectionate with one another in the back of a Broadway Cab when their driver became angry and started yelling homophobic comments at them. When he realized that the two women were a couple, he kicked out Neal, Devoll and their friend onto Interstate 84, telling them, “You can’t be gay in my cab.”
The women then flagged down a police officer, who gave them a ride home. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens all the time, though Portland is known for being far more tolerant towards the LGBT community. Broadway Cab issued a statement on its Facebook page Friday evening, touting its diversity, and has launched an investigation into the incident. The City of Portland has also opened its own private investigation with which the cab company is cooperating.
Meanwhile, Devoll has hired Portland gay rights attorney Nicholas Yanchar to represent them.
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Photo: KOIN 6 News
balehead
Now they’re looking for big money…big surprise…
krystalkleer
good for you girl! the guy was hire as a driver only…not a preacher!
http://getoffmydress.blogspot.com/2013/07/no-more-wire-hangers.html
Scribe38
@balehead: How about him merely getting fired? Unlike you these ladies are just standing up for their rights. What if these women were hit by a car or worst being left on the side of the highway? The cabbie was a asshole
the other Greg
Cabdriver = Muslim in most US places. Is Portland an exception?
Dakotahgeo
I am extremely happy the city is investing and I would hope the cab company makes every effort to see that this man never works at a job involving people, ever again! A$$hole, pure and simple… (no disrespect to physical a$$holes, they’re very necessary!).
Dakotahgeo
@Dakotahgeo: *investigating”… sorry, not investing.
doug105
Bah should have been another cab driver there were 2 of them.
andy_d
@the other Greg: you appear to be as open minded on the subject of cab drivers as the cab drive in the story is of GLBT people. Just sayin’.
the other Greg
@andy_d: It’s simply a fact that most cabdrivers in the US are Muslim immigrants. Many (not all) of them are homophobes. Many (not all) are r@cists and won’t pick up blacks.
How convenient it would be if most US cabdrivers were native-born homophobic Catholics! Then we could have the usual 50 comment Queerty thread of mutual back-patting (“not that there’s anything wrong with that!”) – hey I hate Catholics too, I’d join in the fun.
But yeah – I’m not particularly open-minded about cabdrivers. I haven’t owned a car in years but I dread having to take cabs, and avoid them unless I absolutely have to.
the other Greg
@andy_d: So far the links aren’t saying, but let’s all hope the cabdriver is a Mormon or a Scientologist!
Dakotahgeo
@the other Greg: omit the second “m”. Thank you.
DCFarmboi
OK. Wrong and homophobic. But making out in the back of a cab? Sorry, that is just something done because people disrespect blue collar professions like cab drivers. The drvier has doen wrong. The passengers are not so innocent themselves.
yaoming
Cabbie probably had to rush home to watch him some hot girl-on-girl porn.
doug105
@DCFarmboi: after she, her girlfriend Shankako Devoll and their friend
So a friend was there also doubt they were getting frisky.
Stache1
@DCFarmboi: You’ve obviously never watched taxi cab confessions. Lots of making out going on in the back and no ones getting thrown out.
boring
Sure, “This is Portland” and all, but if we’re talking east of 82nd street, you might as well be a Texan trying to get an abortion, honey.
erasure25
@the other Greg: many won’t pick up hipsters too…
Charli Girl
@balehead:
And shouldn’t they?
Charli Girl
@boring:
I’m in Texas,and I GET FRISKY WHENEVER WHEREVER!!! Double dog dare a S.O.B to open his mouth.
If you go out on the town and want to give your sweety a smooch…where’s the problem? Homophobes don’t have a prayer around me!
Charles Etheridge
They really should try Atlanta. I’ve never heard of anything like that here.
DarkZephyr
@balehead: And why shouldn’t they? This man needs to get his BIG TIME.