Sweep!

Gay-kiss uproar prompts IHOP protest
published Friday, March 23, 2007

After four lesbians were asked to leave an International House of Pancakes in Grandview, Mo., a group is organizing a demonstration against the chain restaurant.

PROMO, the Missouri LGBT equality organization, was coordinating a demonstration to take place Friday evening. Protesters plan to arrive with brooms at the restaurant to "clean up the corporate brush-off," a statement read.

"This is a clear act of discrimination, even if IHOP does not understand that it is," PROMO said in a written statement. "The couple of pecks that caused these individuals to be asked to leave, would not have been considered inappropriate if the couples were heterosexual."

The four women -- Toni and Jackie Smith, Blair Funk and Eva Sandoval -- were sharing a booth at the restaurant. There, Funk and Sandoval shared a short kiss, which attracted the manager's attention.

The manager said to the four women, "I have to tell you, we've had some complaints about public displays of affection, and we're a family restaurant. We can't accept it, and we won't accept it," Funk told Kansas City Star columnist Mike Hendricks.

While the state of Missouri does not have a law protecting the rights of gays, Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia, and University City have policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Marcia Nieto, guest services representative for IHOP, issued an apology, which was obtained by Queerty.com. In it, Nieto stressed that the women were not asked to leave but "were asked to refrain from bold displays of public affection as guests had found it offensive." (The Advocate)

Definitely a fine line to draw. I understand and generally agree with the “It's a Family Restaurant” defense. But being a cynical fag, I'm prone to believe that same level of effrontery displayed by a heterosexual couple would not have merited comment from the management. Were I in range, I would pick up a broom and join the protest.