A security guard at a Los Angeles federal building offered a thirty-one year old woman some anti-gay fashion advice this week.
Lapriss Gilbert had popped into an office building to get her son's social security card, but found herself ejected because the guard didn't appreciate her shirt, which read "lesbian.com."
She said the guard, who works for a private company hired by the Department of Homeland Security, demanded that she leave the building or face arrest."As an African-American and a lesbian, I haven't been through one day without facing some sort of discrimination … but this is just shocking," said Gilbert, 31.
Lori Haley, a federal spokeswoman for the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – which is under the Homeland Security umbrella – said the guard was out of line.
"We believe that the actions of the contract security guard were inappropriate and unacceptable – we have notified his company, Paragon, of our position in the matter," Haley said
Gilbert and her mother, a long-time gay activist, plan on filing a lawsuit against Paragon.
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Good for her! But the company apologized and reprimanded the guard. Why the lawsuit? Americans are so litigious!
That's LA and their consummate racism for you. And it's her right to sue. Apologies are bullsh!t for chumps.
Why the lawsuit? Unless people stop settling for apologies, this type of behavior will continue. This is the federal government we're talking about, not a neighbor or classmate or coworker. Apologies don't cut it because it shouldn't have happened in the first place.
The article states Lapriss Gilbert is a 31 year old woman – why does the headline refer to her as a "girl"?
PJR asks 'The article states Lapriss Gilbert is a 31 year old woman – why does the headline refer to her as a "girl"?'
Good question. I am not a writer but even I know this is not acceptable. Is it just sloppiness (Queerty has made a lot of stupid mistakes lately) or intentional. I keep thinking the intern posted it, which would be an explanation but not an excuse.
About the story: Hopefully their will be questions raised about the training that is given to Homeland Security contractor staff. The pressure for this can come from lawsuits, but also from the Federal government. There have been a lot of questions raised about DHS contracting.
Shouldn't the lame-ass gay rights groups pull their heads out of their asses and organize a rally to protest this? This is a federal building!!!
Why the lawsuit? Really???
Because we need to sue the sh!t, or beat the shit (whichever is appropriate), out of everyone piece of scum on the face of this earth who thinks they have the right–often the God-given right–to treat LGBT people however the f*ck they want.
Till they understand that this behavior will result in a pain in their wallets or a pain in their bodies, it will never end.
That's why, HKG. Americans are too litigious. If you're too f*cking stupid to know that coffee, when spilled, burns, then you're too stupid to live.
But this? I hope she gets every penny they've got.
Hopefully she will donate any settlement from her lawsuit to a charity that fights LBGT discrimination.
First of all I don't think you can trust apologies, people do them hoping to not get sued. If apologizes were enough then we could all go around talking shit about everyone, trampling on each others rights and if we get caught just say, uh, duh, I'm sorry. People generally do not change unless there are consequences that force them to do so.
Sue the bastards!