“We couldn’t believe it,” Jamie (not his real name) said looking back on the night of November 29 at a Burger King in Plaza de los Cubos, downtown Madrid. He wasn’t talking about how good the fries were or how cheap their dinner was, but rather the awful way they were told to leave the fast food restaurant.
The two teenage lovers, ages 18 and 19, shared an innocent kiss at around 9:45 p.m. in the shop. A security guard approached them and told them that they, “couldn’t do things like that” because, “there were children around.”
Apparently two families had complained that the boys were setting a “bad example” for their children, and the blatant discrimination is something the two won’t soon forget.
A married couple tried to intervene, saying the boys had every right to be there, and that prompted debate from the customers who had complained.
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In the end, they left. They didn’t want things to escalate even further.
Word of the incident spread on social media, and a week later, Arcópoli, a Madrid-based LGBT rights group, enlisted dozens of same-sex couples to flood into the Burger King to hold a kiss-in.
Store employees applauded, and Burger King corporate responded by putting out a message that “the security guard had acted on his own initiative,” and explained that the company has a “policy of zero tolerance toward any kind of discrimination, and, having learned of the facts, took immediate action to deal with the incident.”
No word on what that immediate action was, but the store’s manager has invited the couple back so he can apologize to them in person.
jwtraveler
It’s absolutely shocking that there is still homophobia and anti-gay discrimination in Spain, one of the first countries to legalize gay marriage. I thought that all we needed was the “freedom” to marry and all would be right with the world.
In 29 states LGBT people still have no housing or employment rights. Gay rights is not all about gay marriage.
jason smeds
Spain is not a gay-friendly country. Gays are heavily segregated. Many other countries are like this too.
Milk
@jwtraveler: The law might change, they are still a lot of our fellow human being that got left behind from different stages of evolution. Sometimes certain species of animals are indeed far more advance than some of the homosapien.
McShane
@jason smeds, what are you even talking about? http://www.pewglobal.org/2014/04/15/global-morality/table/homosexuality/
The most upsetting thing about this is that they have Burger Kings in Spain. Screw Tapas and Kalimotxo, lets get some Yumbo Hot Ham & Cheese. Said no one ever.
Jacob23
Thank you, McShane. It’s beautiful to see unsupported assertions rebutted with actual evidence. Spain is awesome. Long live Spain!