Gay Dog Not Welcome

[DesDownunder]

Gay dogs not welcome, diner told

original story by SARAH MENNIE, From: Sunday Mail (SA), April 24, 2010 10:18PM

A RESTAURANT that refused a blind man entry because it thought his guide dog was "gay" has been ordered by the Equal Opportunity Tribunal to pay him $1500.

A Woodville North man Ian Jolly, 57, was barred from dining at Grange restaurant Thai Spice in May last year after a staff member mistook his guide dog Nudge for a "gay dog", the tribunal heard this week.

A statement given by restaurant owners Hong Hoa Thi To and Anh Hoang Le said one of the waiters had understood Mr Jolly's partner Chris Lawrence "to be saying she wanted to bring a gay dog into the restaurant".

"The staff genuinely believed that Nudge was an ordinary pet dog which had been desexed to become a gay dog," the statement said.

Mr Jolly and Ms Lawrence were refused entry to the restaurant - which displays a "guide dogs welcome" sign - even after providing staff with a guide dogs fact card.

At an Equal Opportunity Tribunal conciliation hearing on Friday, the restaurant agreed to provide Mr Jolly with a written apology and attend an Equal Opportunity education course, in addition to paying him $1500.

Mr Jolly said while he was happy with the result, the embarrassing incident had dampened his enthusiasm for eating out at restaurants. "It gives you some comfort that Equal Opportunity is there," he said.

"But I always have that fear now, when I go out.

"I just want to be like everybody else and be able to go out for dinner, to be left alone and just enjoy a meal."

Thai Spice refused to speak to the Sunday Mail when contacted for comment during the week.

[JamesSavik]

[DesDownunder]

[E.J.]

[colinian]

He looks gay, the dog looks gay, and she looks pissed.

Colin