A GAY COUPLE were allegedly asked to leave a Dublin city centre restaurant after a nearby table complained about them holding hands.
The shocking letter featured in this month’s Gay Community News magazine come just five months after this year’s landslide gay marriage referendum.
The letter said:
“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.
“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’.”
The unnamed couple later questioned the country’s commitment to tolerance in the wake of last May’s gay marriage referendum.
“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 post-referendum about my country.”
GLEN policy director Tiernan Brady claims that the latest incident shows how far Ireland still has to go regarding attitudes towards the LGBT community.
“Certainly in my mind I cannot understand how people could be offended by two people holding hands in public,” he told TheJournal.ie
“It shows you how far we still have to go in terms of LGBT rights.
“The laws have changed but in some cases people’s attitudes remain the same and unfortunately this is just another example of the struggles facing the LGBT community every day.
“We still have a long way to go.”
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