Deli owner throws out lesbian couple for kissing, claims all kisses are banned
Langer’s Deli in Los Angeles ejected a lesbian couple on a date
A deli owner who ejected a lesbian couple on a date for sharing a kiss has claimed that both gay and straight kisses are banned.
Two women claim they were thrown out of Langer’s Deli in Los Angeles on June 8, during the weekend of the city’s Pride celebrations.
Lesbian couple were told to leave for kissing
In a Facebook post, Rachel Curry alleged: “My date and I had finished eating and we shared a kiss in our booth. Suddenly a man with a walkie-talkie was standing at our table.
“He introduced himself as Norm Langer and told us that he ‘can’t have this in his restaurant because some of the customers don’t understand.'”
Langer’s Deli in Los Angeles ejected a lesbian couple on a date
She added: “He told me I was being selfish and inconsiderate of how other people felt as he stood there with his walkie-talkie waiting for us to pay our bill and leave.
“I was in shock, this experience felt violent and wrong and was traumatic for both of us.
“I just want to raise awareness that this space is unsafe for LBGTQ+ people in an effort to prevent future harm to others.”
Deli owner: I’d do the same to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In a statement, deli owner Norm Langer hit back at the allegations, claiming that the “family restaurant” has a long-standing no kissing policy.
He claimed: “We treat all customers equally and never discriminate.
“We have a long-standing policy against anyone from ‘making out’ whether straight or same-sex couples, it does not matter.
“I have stopped heterosexual couples from making out, and I would do the same if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were making out.
“We are a family restaurant, and I apologise if some people do not like our policy.”
However, Curry questioned his version of events, and said that Langer never mentioned a ‘no kissing’ policy during the incident.
She told the LA Blade: “It was perfectly clear to both of us that when he approached our table in an authoritative manner and told us that he ‘Can’t have this behaviour in his restaurant’ because his ‘customers don’t understand’—he was saying that his customers and/or himself did not want us being visibly queer in that space and that we weren’t welcome there because of it.”
Earlier this month, a restaurant in New Jersey agreed to pay a $20,000 settlement after allegations of homophobic discrimination against an employee.
