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“We will learn and grow from this.”Īlbert Meeks, a bottle service manager at the bar, who is Black and gay, told ABC15 his understanding is that the altercation between customers started over an issue involving personal space, not any derogatory anti-gay comment, as the victims have alleged. “We have done an internal investigation with our owners as well as our upper management to rectify any issue to prevent any issues from occurring in the future! To the parties that were involved we give our sincerest apologies,” the statement continued. We have multiple people on staff that are part of the LGBTQ+ community as well as from different racial backgrounds. In the actual statement, The Golden Margarita said: “To whom it may concern, but especially to the LGBTQ+ community, we sincerely apologize for any actions that may have occurred at The Golden Margarita… Here at The Golden Margarita we are big on having a welcoming environment open to people from all walks of life! We do not and will never discriminate against anybody, either it be for their sexual orientation or racial background. See also: Three men arrested for allegedly attacking gay couple for holding hands Tennessee Forces Schools To Police Student-Athletes’ Gender Nobody deserves to be assaulted, specifically for being themselves.”
“As you would expect, the couple has taken this very hard.
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The fight ensued and they moved outside the bar where they were both continually assaulted by a group of men,” Sarah Tyree, the criminal justice chair for the West Valley NAACP, said during the news conference, according to Phoenix-based TV station ABC15. “ said they were not welcome here because they were gay. On the Saturday following the incident, the West Valley NAACP and the Unity Collective, an umbrella group comprised of various civil rights organizations, held a news conference outside The Golden Margarita on the couple’s behalf, calling on the Phoenix Police Department to fully and thoroughly investigate the matter, and calling on local businesses to protect, and not to discriminate against, LGBTQ customers. See also: Missouri couple claimed they were attacked outside a casino for being gay Police say they tried to obtain a description of the men who had assaulted the couple, but claim that Haro and De Los Reyes were too intoxicated to provide additional information. She claimed they had been sitting in an area reserved for a private party, and a fight broke out when they refused to leave. Officers reportedly talked to a woman accused of hitting one of the men. Phoenix police confirmed that their bias crime detectives are investigating the incident, with a spokesperson telling ABC15 that several witnesses were contacted, but were unable to corroborate what prompted the assault. on April 12, and Phoenix fire personnel had treated the men for their injuries.Ĭanada Lifts Blood Donation Restrictions On Gay And Bisexual Men The two men called police, complaining that the bar’s security had “failed to protect them.” But civil rights advocates speaking on behalf of the couple say the four Phoenix police officers who initially responded to the scene were dismissive and did not take the allegations seriously.Ī spokesperson for the Phoenix police department confirmed that officers had responded to reports of a fight at the bar around 1 a.m. De Los Reyes returned at the time, and was also assaulted. Haro was then pushed outside and hit in the head, although he’s unclear about who actually assaulted him. But the person continued to tell him he couldn’t be there, and told him “they don’t do that gay s*** here.” While Haro was trying to get a drink, another patron told him he “couldn’t be there.” Haro didn’t understand, and thought he may have missed seeing a sign. According to the Arizona Republic, the men had gone to The Golden Margarita in downtown Phoenix, and Haro entered the bar while De Los Reyes went outside to retrieve his ID from the car.