A lesbian couple were celebrating their one-year anniversary at Sheraton Hotel’s District restaurant on Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona, when a manager approached them and told them to “get a room” because they’d shared a simple kiss.
ABC15 reports that they received a statement from the general manager of the Sheraton: “We embrace diversity and are proud supporters of the LGBT community. We are taking this incident very seriously. Our restaurant is open for all to enjoy, and sincerely regret this incident took place.”
Apparently other customers in the restaurant were the motivation for the manager coming up to the couple, but his apology and offer of “free drinks next time!” were inappropriate.
Do you think the Sheraton needs to fire the manager who came up to the lesbian couple, or was he just trying to quell other homophobic customers?
Bryan
Unacceptable. Fire him.
Hyhybt
“Do you think the Sheraton needs to fire the manager who came up to the lesbian couple, or was he just trying to quell other homophobic customers?”
Impossible to tell… as usual, there’s the *possibility* that they are understating what they were doing.
But taking everything as presented… I tend to lean toward the idea he was trying to prevent as many complaints as possible, because to corporate, almost certainly the *number* of them is more important than whether there’s any substance to them, because figuring out the latter is too much work.
matt
I agree it’s impossible to tell. For now I think the couple should be satisfied with an apology which is obviously heartfelt and not press too much when offered free food from then on. If they want to prosecute anyone, then prosecute the people in the store for discrimination. You can’t? well then you can’t really be mad at the storeowner for giving them an option. he didn’t say they HAD to leave merely that people not used to the displays of affection were made uncomfortable with it. it’s not HIS fault. He is a businessman.
Mike kilpatrick
OK where are you supposed to drink that drink their offering you if you have to leave?
Clockwork
Need facts.
I trust Sheraton to figure it out (they ain’t Cracker Barrel).
jason
I think that if the restaurant has a consistent policy against PDA’s (whether opposite-sex or same-sex), I’m on the restaurant’s side. If it has a different policy for each type of PDA, I’m not on the restaurant’s side.
In any case, I don’t do PDA’s in restaurants. Restaurants are for eating, not kissing.
whatever
If they were deep tonguing each other’s tonsils I would agree, but a quick kiss on their anniversary — get over it. If a straight couple had shared a brief kiss over dinner on a special occasion, and if someone complained, they would have no doubt have been told to mind their own business. But a same-sex couple is treated like an interracial couple in the Deep South from the 1970’s. End this harmful stupidity now!
Charlie in Charge
Apology is welcome and enough I would say
Hyhybt
@whatever: Exactly the point. Only an eyewitness, though, would know.
DonsterNYC
I’m sorry, but the time has come when you don’t ‘quell homophobic customers.’ As management, you stare the homophobes down and tell them their behavior toward the other customers in the restaurant is unacceptable. Let them rant and tell them to hit the road. I am tired of seeing our community abused because some Christofascist is unhappy!
Hyhybt
@DonsterNYC: Well, again (and setting aside the unwarranted religious slur) entirely too many people with unreasonable complaints have figured out that instead of telling what happened, telling corporate only “your manager was so RUDE and unhelpful!!!” and leaving it at that is often effective. And corporate types like to simply count up how many complaints you get and fire you when it reaches a certain amount, no matter how little validity the claim has.
Jakey
“Do you think the Sheraton needs to fire the manager who came up to the lesbian couple, or was he just trying to quell other homophobic customers?”
Both! What’s supposed to be so blameless about quelling homophobic customers?
John
No one was there…so all of you militant gays need to settle down. YOU DONT KNOW how they were acting. If you were not there, you should probably keep your damn opinions to yourself. Gays, lezzies, heteros…they’re all capable of showing too much PDA…so leave the manager alone.
Shannon1981
The homophobes should have been asked to leave, not the lesbians.
Jan
No, don’t fire them. The couple asked that no one be fired and I think their wishes should be respected since they were the ones who were discriminated against.
TASTEY GOODIES
HETS GET 2 KISS IN PUBLIC ALL THE TIME. BUT GOD FORBID A GAY COUPLE (M OR F) MUST SHOW NO PDA. A SIMPLE KISS AND THE HOMOPHOBES WERE FREAKED OUT? GOOOD LORD. ME THINKS THEY WOULD HATE FRANCE CUZ PDA IS VERY ACCEPTED THERE. KISSING IN PUBLIC SHOULD NOT BE A CRIME- HOMOPHOBIA IN PUBLIC NEEDS 2 BE!!!!!
ajaynejr
How about free drinks and also a free room for a night anytime in the future at any Sheraton worldwide?