Comments on: More Bigotry From Texas Police

By: Richard W. Fitch

Richard W. Fitch — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:13:19 +0000

@Tom: If you check thru some of the news releases, I think you will find that both D-FW and El Paso have ordinances in addition to TX law that prohibit such denials.

By: CLS

CLS — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:02:51 +0000

I hate to sound like a broken record but we should do all that is humanely possible to ever interact with police officers. That doesn’t just go for gay people but for everyone. It is far too dangerous to be around cops to intentionally call them. Better to boycott the restaurant and publicize their bigotry than to call in cops.

By: Tom in Lazybrook

Tom in Lazybrook — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:51:17 +0000

Actually, I hate to burst everyones bubble, but in Texas it is LEGAL to deny someone service in a restaurant, hotel, apartment, etc. on the basis of sexual orientation.

It is ILLEGAL in Texas for a Gay person to deny those same services to someone because they are a Baptist that doesn’t like Gays.

By: Christopher Waldrop

Christopher Waldrop — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:23:50 +0000

And why is it still perfectly legal for Chico’s Tacos in El Paso, Texas, to refuse service to Carlos and his friends based solely on their sexual orientation?

As I learned several years ago any business can deny service to any person(s) for any reason(s), or for no stated reason at all. If a business owner decides he or she just doesn’t like a patron they can call the cops and have the patron charged with trespassing. The cops will almost always side with the business owner.

This doesn’t make the bigotry of the Texas police right, of course, and I’m all for a demonstration. Although instead of a “kiss-off” I think it should be called a “kiss-in”.

By: KipEsquire

KipEsquire — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:00:21 +0000

Party like it's 2004! Gay Couple Told Kissing "Illegal" in Texas (12/2004)

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:53:59 +0000

I think a follow up on the officer that took the call to see whether or not he was made to view the non-discrimination video as most large corporations make their employees view every year. The Police Department’s risk management should see it as a must! It becomes a legal liability that that city should not have to bare because its police department is inept. People get fired for such things! The City of El Paso’s Mayor’s office should be fully informed of this also!

By: Diego

Diego — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:58:05 +0000

Privilege is calling the police for help and assuming the police will be on your side.

By: Lorenzo

Lorenzo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:39:14 +0000

Yep, I think you have the mentality described perfectly. It is about intimidating the vulnerable and feeling virtuous about it.

By: Gina9223

Gina9223 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:14:12 +0000

…wait a second… why does a taco shack needs TWO security guards?

Did the Hambergerlar start going for taco’s now?

By: Regan DuCasse

Regan DuCasse — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:50:06 +0000

It’s incidents like these that remind me of how vividly Jim Crow still exists for gay folks.

Any black person that denies that gay folks don’t struggle with very similar issues, or even more of them depending on context, only has to know about situations like this.