July 9, 2009
Chico's Tacos might be the unlikeliest places to be a front in the war for equality, but it nonetheless finds itself in the middle of controversy. It started with a group of young gay men that went to Chico's. Two of the men began to show affection for each other and kissed one another. One of the rent-a-cops saw it and took exception to it. Some reports say that the security guard received complaints from customers regarding the display.
The security guard made the gentleman leave and the group called the police. The officer sided with the rent-a-cop and the group was not allowed to eat. The officer reportedly told the men that they could be cited for homosexual conduct.
This is where the officer went wrong. I don't expect police officers to be judicial scholars, but one would expect those charged with enforcing our laws to have at least a base level knowledge of what is and is not against the law. The law the officer cited has been overturned by the Supreme Court for over six years. What's even more infuriating is the fact that the officer completely failed to enforce an ordinance passed by council that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation by businesses open to the public.
I want to know why the officer didn't enforce that ordinance and allow the men to eat. This is 2009, not 1909. I thought we were passed the days of close mindedness. Didn't we already fight this battle of who can eat at lunch counters?
The plight of the homosexual community is about civil rights. It's being treated as equal as any other American. The difference is that homosexuality comes in all colors, denominations and languages. Homosexuals are members of our communities and our families. When we hurt them, we hurt ourselves.
I didn't always feel that way though. I have to confess, with a great deal of shame, that I used to make remarks that were anti-homosexual in my younger days. Not because I had any animosity towards homosexuals, but because it was just so common place. It wasn't until I learned that words like "fag" where just as harmful, shameful, and inappropriate as "nigger" and "spic."
When I was a soldier, I used to go with the flow and think that gays in the military somehow had an impact on military operations. Its easy to get brainwashed in a testosterone-charged environment.
There is a shame that some homosexuals deal with that prevents some from coming out. I should know, a close relative dealt with the issue for years. I hope that the secrecy often associated with the gay community is put aside and that prominent gay members of our community stand up to this bigotry.
It takes courage to be the one to do it, but courage is what is needed when you fight ignorance that some in this community can't seem to be able to shake.
No other community of our time deals with the institutionalized discrimination to the degree that the gay community does. Nobody tells African-Americans who they can and can't marry anymore do they? Yet the gay community deals with this type of discrimination even now, in the twenty-first century.
Think about it, how many times have you been to Chico's and you've seen some young lovers holding hands or stealing a kiss? You see it all the time if you go after the clubs and bars close. But do you see heterosexual couples given the boot by rent-a-cops because of public displays of affection? I've seen some pretty involved displays of public affection that was inappropriate for children to see, in the very same Chico's I might add, that security never blinked about.
But for some reason it's different when it's two men who did nothing more than share a kiss. The selective enforcement of a stupid policy is something that cannot, and should not, be tolerated. Especially in a community like El Paso that is overwhelmingly minority.
We cannot just let the officer off the hook on this one. We look to officers, most of whom do a great job and are wonderful people, to enforce the laws of our community. This officer let down the community. When one member of our community is discriminated against, we all suffer.
I fully realize that the business owners may have been completely unaware of the circumstance and may not condone the actions of the rent-a-cop. I also realize that they have the right to refuse service to some people. But the city council passed a specific ordinance to protect homosexuals from being discriminated in restaurants.
I'm not saying its time to boycott Chico's yet, but I want to see them do the right thing and will be watching how they deal with this issue. But more importantly I want to see Chief Greg Allen do the right thing as well. I want to see that his brave officers are properly trained and will know the laws they are charged with enforcing.
Homosexuals deserve the same protections as other minority groups. We as a community deserve better officers. Why are people so concerned about what gays do in a restaurant if its not anything different than heterosexuals?
Can't you people go back to having your marriage "threatened" by gay marriage and let me enjoy my tacos in peace?
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Abeytia writes the Lionstar blog and is a political animal who spends way too much time traveling the wilds of El Paso politics. Reach him at lionstar@thelionstarblog.com.