The gay couple say they were attacked at the Phoenix Bar because of their sexual orientation

The golden margarita in Phoenix – Photo: Facebook.

A gay couple in Arizona claim they were assaulted on April 11th for their sexual orientation in a downtown Phoenix bar.

In an Instagram post from an account called gayprideapparel, which has since been removed, a video was shared by Rudy Haro, one of the victims, in which he and Fernando De Los Reyes Lugo went downtown to celebrate De Los’s birthday Reyes and celebrate her anniversary. and were “attacked by many straight men tonight”. The video showed De Los Reyes with blood stains on his shirt.

“One of the people who attacked us had a gun that he wanted to pull out until my friend started yelling for help. People laughed instead of helping, ”the headline of the Instagram post reads. The post also claimed the back of Haro’s head was swollen and De Los Reyes may have a broken nose.

According to the Republic of Arizona, the men had gone to the Golden Margarita in downtown Phoenix and Haro entered the bar while De Los Reyes went outside to get his ID out of the car. While Haro was trying to get a drink, another patron told him he could “not be there”. Haro didn’t understand and thought he might have missed a sign. But the person kept telling him that he couldn’t be there and saying, “You’re not doing this gay thing here.”

Haro was then pushed outside and hit in the head, although he’s not sure who actually attacked him. De Los Reyes returned at this time and was also attacked. The two men called the police and complained that the bar’s security “did not protect them”. However, civil rights activists speaking on behalf of the couple say the four Phoenix police officers who originally responded to the scene were dismissive and did not take the allegations seriously.

A Phoenix Police Department spokesman confirmed that officers had responded to reports of a fight at the bar around 1:00 a.m. on April 12, and that Phoenix fire fighters had treated the men for their injuries.

Phoenix Police have confirmed that their detectives are investigating the incident. A spokesman told ABC15 that several witnesses had been contacted but was unable to confirm what triggered the attack.

Officials reportedly spoke to a woman who was accused of beating one of the men. She claimed they sat in an area reserved for a private party and an argument broke out when they refused to leave. Police say they tried to get a description of the men who attacked the couple, but claim Haro and De Los Reyes were too drunk to provide additional information.

See also: The Missouri couple claimed they were attacked outside a casino for being gay

On the Saturday following the incident, the West Valley NAACP and the Unity Collective, an umbrella organization of various civil rights organizations, held a press conference on behalf of the couple in front of the Golden Margarita calling on the Phoenix Police Department to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the matter local businesses to protect and not discriminate against LGBTQ customers.

“[The victims] said they weren’t welcome here because they were gay. One of them was then hit in the head. The fight ensued and they moved outside of the bar, where they were both constantly attacked by a group of men, “West Valley NAACP criminal justice chairwoman Sarah Tyree said during the press conference, according to Phoenix-based television station ABC15. “As expected, it was very difficult for the couple. Nobody deserves to be attacked, especially because they are themselves. “

Tyree added that “being intoxicated is not illegal, nor is it a reason not to get help, it is not a reason for law enforcement to (not) investigate your case.”

Late last Thursday evening, less than two days before the press conference, the Golden Margarita posted a photo statement on its Facebook page with the caption: “Unfortunately, an incident occurred across the street from where we lived with 2 separate parties attending This evening were patrons … We as a company will never tolerate racist or sexual prejudice. The incident was not a racist or sexual prejudice and our staff was not involved. But this is a clarification for us. “

See also: Three men were arrested for allegedly attacking a gay couple by holding hands

In the latest statement, The Golden Margarita said: “For those concerned, but especially the LGBTQ + community, we sincerely apologize for any actions that may have taken place at The Golden Margarita … Here at The Golden Margarita we are very interested in to have an inviting environment open to people from all walks of life! We do not and will never discriminate against anyone, either because of their sexual orientation or because of their racist background. We have several employees who are part of the LGBTQ + community and have different racial backgrounds.

“We conducted an internal investigation with our owners as well as our senior management to fix issues and prevent problems from occurring in the future! We sincerely apologize to the parties involved, ”the statement continued. “We will learn from it and grow.”

Albert Meeks, a bottle service manager at the bar who is black and gay, told ABC15 that his understanding was that the dispute between customers began over a personal space issue rather than a derogatory anti-gay comment, like the victims claimed. He also noted that while the initial argument may have started at the bar, the fight ultimately spread across the street from the bar, where security personnel would not be authorized to intervene.

“In this situation we could all have done better, but if things happen outside of our venue, we are not liable for anything that happens outside of our venue,” Meeks said in a video posted on Instagram, the Republic said.

Meeks also said that the Golden Margarita posted her Facebook statement to reassure members of the LGBTQ community that they are welcome, saying: “[W]We want everyone to know that we are all encompassing and that it is not a hate crime or such a situation. “

Continue reading:

The transgender billionaire threatens to relocate the company from Tennessee in response to proposed anti-LGBTQ laws

One in six LGBTQ homeless youths report sexual abuse by a family member

Poll: Even Republicans are not interested in bills pushing transgender sports bans