A gay man from Montreal claims he is the victim of homophobia after he and his friends were kicked out of a restaurant for sexually harassing, er, “complimenting” their busboy.
The incident happened last Saturday night at a restaurant in Old Montreal called Pastel.
Ghislain Corriveau and three of his friends came in shortly before closing and reportedly began making sexually suggestive comments to their busboy, including inviting him to come over and sit on their laps.
When the busboy told the co-owner Kabir Kapoor that he was uncomfortable with the things they were saying to him, Kapoor asked the men to leave.
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“I said we’re giving you the bill [for the wine]…we have a zero tolerance policy for any kind of sexual abuse or harassment,” Kapoor tells Eater.
“I [told them] I’m in a very tough position and I have to ensure security is paramount and if he doesn’t feel secure as my employee, I have no option.”
Related: Man in speedo cries homophobia after being asked to leave pool for violating “no speedo” policy
Two of the four men apologized for their behavior. But Corriveau, witnesses say, became irate. He says the attention he and his friends were giving the busboy, which lasted more than 15 minutes, was harmless and never intended to make him feel unsafe.
“It was just a compliment,” he says. “We never touched him.”
He continues, “They treated us like sexual predators. If it’s sexual harassment, you need to call the police.”
The next day, Corriveau took to social media to accuse the Kapoor and the busboy of being homophobic.
“My friend said gently to the server that he was a handsome man,” Corriveau lamented. “It’s the first time I felt like a victim of homophobia in Montreal. A total insult.”
Speaking to Eater, he elaborates: “If the [busboy] takes it as sexual harassment, it’s because he doesn’t like gay guys. He didn’t like the fact he had a compliment from another guy.”
Or perhaps he just didn’t like having four strangers ask him to sit in their laps while he was simply trying to do his job?
Corriveau goes on to tell Eater that he thinks the restaurant is trying to destroy his reputation, even though he’s the one who originally went on social media to make a stink about it.
“I have a perfect reputation,” he says. “I don’t deserve it and my friends don’t deserve it.”
Corriveau adds that he is considering going to the police.
Oddly, shortly after he and his friends were kicked out of the restaurant, Corriveau posted a video of himself outside of the eatery expressing his outrage over being ejected but making no mention of homophobia or antigay animus.
That video has since been deleted from his Facebook page.
Meanwhile, the restaurant has been bombarded with one-star reviews online, accusing it of homophobia. In a statement posted to its Facebook page over the weekend, the restaurant said:
It is unequivocally wrong to verbally assault a server.
There are no excuses. Never mistake our hospitality for permission of unsolicited sexual advances. Sexual harassment and discriminatory behaviour is, and will forever be tolerance zero at Pastel, regardless of identity or orientation. Please let us do our job without feeling humiliated. Please be appropriate. This shouldn’t need to be said, but sadly, some people need to be reminded. Just because you are a client does not make it right. Let’s try to be a little more respectful of each other so that we can all feel joy and peace. #humanrights
Kapoor claims he has also been receiving nasty messages from people on Facebook after Corriveau published a screenshot of his personal page online.
“It’s so terrible that people use [homophobia] as an out because it’s disrespectful to the gay community and to human rights in general,” Kapoor says. “Why are you using it as a means to your end of you getting kicked out of a restaurant?”
Related: Man who cried homophobia after being kicked out of pool has history of making such accusations
notasjw
Funny Queerty is silent on the charges that were just dropped against Kevin Spacey!
Polaro
So many people with egg on their faces with all this rush to judgment on so many fronts. The very old news about Rapp where nothing actually happened was also overplayed – no crime was committed there. Spacey probably used his authority incorrectly to coerce people in London though…
Catholicslutbox
Can someone go to the restaurant and photograph the waiter for me?
Cam
Funny how the same accounts that routinely defend anti-LGBT bigots identify so closely with an admitted child predator.
This case was dropped after the accuser lost the phone with the original text messages on it. However, the multiple cases still against Spacey in England, his admitting something happened with Anthony Rapp and his firing from his Netflix show after revelations came out are still going on.
Funny how you didn’t mention those too right?
GageRoberts1268
Funny Queerty is silent on the charges that wer….- Absolutely agree with you But i am here not only to discuss this article but I AM LOOKING for NEW boyfriend. My whatsapp number is 17732425635 . Drop me a line only if you are single and really miss for love and pleasure..
Polaro
As far as this story goes, the devil is in the details. I can see both sides, depending on how it actually happened.
JaredMacBride
People who call out gay or lesbian people for poor behavior aren’t being “homophobic.” But try explaining this to people who’d rather be victims than happy.
Inspector 57
Amen, brother!
Man About Town
Exactly. Asking a restaurant worker to sit on your lap is supposed to be a compliment? Quelle Schmuck!
Tim
THIS!
Inspector 57
I’m not a big fan of capital punishment.
So maybe Corriveau should just be castrated.
jcoberkrom
I’d say one ball for the first offense
boymikefl
When unwanted, obnoxious (sit on my lap) flirting becomes uncomfortable and annoying, don’t play the “sexual orientation” card. Just don’t be an d*ck. BTW, you’re not that cute, anyway.
osote_tex
It’s amazing that we as a group complain all of the time about attacks on our sexuality, but when it comes to doing it to others, people in this same group believe that it’s still okay. I just have to ask how many windows are broken in his glass house.
NateOcean
Corriveau sounds like a real a-hole.
He’s trying to cover his vulgar misbehavior with the classic “can’t you take a joke”.
Godabed
100% facts!
WSnyder
Had the ‘busboy’ been a female, this would be another #MeToo incident, but in essence, that’s EXACTLY what it is. You cannot treat people like playthings and then act shocked they were uncomfortable, regardless if from your perspective it was ‘harmless’. In such circumstances, your perspective doesn’t mean $hit. And now playing the ‘homophobia’ card because you acted like gay Harvey Weinstein and got called out for it? BS. I feel sorry for the busboy and the restaurant. This guy sounds like a real pig and someone needs to fry his bacon.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Every minority has it’s miscreants….here we have a classic…
Douchefag…..
Brian
My eyes can’t roll back far enough in my head. How many articles has Queerty ran that call something homophobia for no other reason than it involves a gay person? Or racism, just because it it involves a black person? How many times did Queerty print the phrase “racist and homophobic attack” in their first dozen or so articles about Jussie?
This guy is just doing what he’s seen done a million times in the media. Stop clutching your pearls Queerty, you are one of the worst offenders.
LthrboyGeorge
“Corriveau” is crying homophobia, not Queerty. I’d have kicked him out & taken away the wine.
Brian
Yes, that’s my point. Clearly Queerty isn’t taking his side in this article, but they do the exact same thing s he’s doing all the time.
jkb
That queen needs to STFU
mkm718
Simmer dude! If nothing was said to the boy in the first place than no problems right???. Someone stood up for themselves and didn’t ask for those comments ?. He was working. Kinda weird to ask a busboy to sit on your lap and telling him he was handsome is flirting…hmmm….?. Not anti-gay. Just didn’t like those comments and he can feel uncomfortable.
Cam
“”He says the attention he and his friends were giving the busboy, which lasted more than 15 minutes, was harmless and never intended to make him feel unsafe.””
The same thing women waiters go through. Was the busboy oversensitive because it was men? Maybe, but here’s an idea…..how about going out to dinner without commenting on the servers appearance.
Wicked Dickie
“…Two of the four men apologized for their behavior. But Corriveau, witnesses say, became irate. He says the attention he and his friends were giving the busboy, which lasted more than 15 minutes, was harmless and never intended to make him feel unsafe….” he should keep that same energy the next time a heterosexual calls him fairy or f@g, but in a “nice way”.
JK 1984
Reading the accounts from both sides, Corriveau sounds like the one in the wrong.
Your waiter/server/retail store clerk/etc is there to do a job, not be harassed regardless of their or your gender, sexual orientation or any other excuse you can make.
So I don’t see any homophobia here, just an idiot looking to get some publicity. The fact that his friends apparently apologised means they realised that they overstepped.
Tim
I could see if he said something like “Hey, what are doing after work?” or asking if he’s interested in a date. But 15 minutes of sexual innuendo is harassment. Period. So. as someone else here said, he needs to STFU.
Tombear
Just because you are gay doesn’t mean you can harass a server. If he is your regular waiter and you know him/her maybe you can joke around with your server but just harassing somebody out of the clear blue makes you a douchfag!
Aires the Ram
I believe the owner did the right thing by throwing them out on their ear. Tacky behavior.
His reaction to it though, is typical of someone who has bought hook, line & sinker into “victimology”. If anybody disagrees with me or shows dislike for me then “I am a ‘victim'”. Same as those who now scream “racist”/”racism” at anyone that doesn’t agree with them.
jcoberkrom
The old “it was harmless” routine. If someone feels uncomfortable you stop it and apologize. PERIOD