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Outrage As Gay Couple Apparently Asked To Leave Dublin Restaurant

Published 14:41 29 Oct 2015 GMT

Updated 15:03 29 Oct 2015 GMT

Megan Cassidy

Outrage As Gay Couple Apparently Asked To Leave Dublin Restaurant

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A man who was celebrating his anniversary with his partner has claimed that they were asked to leave a Dublin restaurant following complaints from other diners. The male couple say they were not kissing "holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes", when the restaurant manager asked them to leave as their behaviour was making other diners "uncomfortable".

This? https://t.co/IeSdXHBdCl pic.twitter.com/jkd7jWs9Py
— Brynmor Pattison (@Brynmorbeer) October 28, 2015

According to The Examiner, the man wrote a letter to the annual youth issue of Gay Community News magazine, explaining how the event played out. He wrote: "We like to think of Ireland as a place where gay people are fully accepted and respected, especially since the landslide passing of the same-sex marriage referendum, but if my experience last week is anything to go by, this is still a surface image.

"My partner and I were in a Dublin city centre restaurant celebrating our second anniversary, and we were being physically tactile with each other. "Not kissing the faces of each other or anything, but holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes."

"A waiter came to our table and told us that customers at another table were complaining about us. He suggested that we stop showing each other physical affection.

"We asked to see the manager, who said something similar, adding that he had no problem with gay people."

Gay couple sitting in a meadow enjoying the view

"When we said we had every right to show each other affection, the manager said that it was unfortunate that other customers were uncomfortable, and suggested that we leave. He told us we wouldn’t be charged for our meal.

"As we were leaving the restaurant, feeling humiliated, a woman at one of the tables, probably the one who had complained about us, said the word ’disgusting’.

"This is not the indication, on any level, of acceptance, or even tolerance. The whole experience has really shaken the foundations of what I had come to believe postreferendum about my country."

The letter has garnered attention online, with many taking to Twitter to express their outrage.

@Brynmorbeer as a waiter I'm sorry it's completely unacceptable.You're welcome in my restaurant any time!Drinks on me,handhold all night — Shamim de Brún (@Shamim_deBrun) October 29, 2015

There will always be groups and individuals for whom the concept of *acceptance* is utterly repulsive. https://t.co/LeXmpT99VJ
— Margaret H (@curtainqueen) October 28, 2015

@curtainqueen @Brynmorbeer very sad! Makes me think twice about going for a meal with the other half! — Chris (@cri5b) October 28, 2015

Still a long way to go! https://t.co/pFVICNfTcD
— Tom (@ryanto86) October 28, 2015

@Brynmorbeer @PantiBliss @HelenORahilly @GCNmag Thats quite shocking and dusgusting.Perhaps the restaurant should be named and shamed. — Les J Matt (@PourJay) October 28, 2015

@davidcochrane that's unfortunate. Law has changed. Society needs to catch up.
— David Cochrane (@CochraneCBCNL) October 29, 2015

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