FAKEOUT

Gay Couple Sues Manhattan Restauranteur For Cancelling Wedding Over Feng Shui

The owner of an Asian fusion restaurant in Manhattan’s famously gay-friendly Greenwich Village is being sued by a gay couple for cancelling their wedding rehearsal and reception due to sexual discrimination and bad feng shui.

Barrett Greene and Thomas Eng had planned to have a rehearsal dinner for 40 and a wedding catered  for 200 by Amber Village. On March 23, Greene met with manager Tommy Ho, who took their $750 deposit. A week later, Ho called up the grooms-to-be, alerting them that their event might have to be moved to sister restaurant Amber on Christopher St, the birthplace of the modern gay pride movement.

However, later that day, Greene and Eng allege that a senior manager, known only as Mr. Fong, summoned Ho. The New York Daily News reports:

“Fong was visibly angry and told Ho that he didn’t want any ‘gay parties’ at Amber Village,” the suit charges.

“Fong instructed Ho to ‘make an excuse’ and tell Greene that his rehearsal dinner could not take place at Amber Village and that his wedding could not be catered by them either.

“Fong also told Ho that it’s ‘very bad’ for Amber Village to book ‘gay parties’ and that big groups of ‘gay partyers’ are especially bad for feng shui.

Since when are the gays bad for interior design? Have the last 50 years counted for nothing?

Meanwhile, the owner of the restaurants, one Qi Yeng Lin, could not be reached by the NYDN for comment, but Bo Lee, manager of Amber, was surprised by the suit.

“Feng shui has to do with luck and fortune. It has to do with where do you put your plants and flowers, your furniture. It has nothing to do with who are your clients,” Lee told the Daily News, adding, “This is the West Village. We don’t turn away anyone. We have gay managers.”

As Amber Village closed in June, Greene and Eng never received their deposit back and are seeking unspecified damages. But despite their objectionable good vibes, or lack thereof, Greene and Eng were married on a rooftop on June 9.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated