October 26, 2007
Gay Couple Kicked Out of Rite Aid After Hugging
This week's Metro Weekly reports some disturbing news that a gay couple was kicked out of a local Rite Aid pharmacy without reason.
Jay Hill and Mike Browne went into the store at 13th and U streets NW last Friday to make a purchase, and they embraced as they browsed an aisle. Hill told MW the manager walked by, saw them and did a double take. The manager then asked the security guard on duty to get them to leave. When Hill asked the guard why they were asked to leave, the guard said, "I don't know, that's just what the manager said. This is private property so y'all got to go."
Howard University art professor Raymond Dobard witnessed the incident and got the manager's name, which is Denny Getachew. Dobard is a friend of the couple and had dinner with them earlier that evening; the three of them believe Hill and Browne were asked to leave because of their gay public display of affection.
Getachew refused to comment on the story, and the security guard only spoke anonymously to MW, saying he didn't know why the manager ordered him to remove Browne and Hill. Rite Aid's corporate headquarters has yet to issue a formal statement.
Image courtesy Metro Weekly
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How about "Getaclue"? ZING!
Interesting story as Rite Aid scores in the 95 percentile on Human Rights Campaign's '2008 Corporate Equality Index' (http://www.hrc.org/documents/HRC_Corporate_Equality_Index_2008.pdf)
Eh, I'd rather go to the CVS at 10th & U anyway. It is a much better store.
i'm guessing Getachew is a jealous ex because otherwise this is ridiculous
Once, I was kicked out of the CVS at 17th & P because I wasn't hugging my friend Sean. True story!
Um, that's illegal in DC. Isn't it? Moose?
Ev, yeah, it's probably a violation of the DC human rights act, if true.
The couple should sue Rite Aid. Rite Aid has deep pockets...Come on BIG MONEY!
looks like someone just pulled the Rite Aid slot machine lever and came up lucky 7s
Oh, don't get all hysterical. They probably weren't kicked out because they're gay. It was more likely because they're black.
Mr. Moonpie is obviously correct--when did you ever see black people on U Street? What were they thinking?
Mr. Moonpie, that's still illegal in DC.
Why does it have to be about race??? This is DC and I'm sure that more blacks have shopped at the Rite Aid in the last ten minutes than any whites...
1) Moonpie is obviously joking.
2) Is there some hottie out there who'd like to join me for a little kiss-in at the Rite Aid?
Geez...some people really never can pick up on sarcastic comments, no matter how obvious...
no they weren't asked to leave for being black, they were asked to leave for being gay. the manager there sounds ethiopian, known for intolerance toward different groups of people.
Wow, some of you really need to re-calibrate your sarcasm meters.
I'm not one for activism, but I'd like to go to this Rite Aid and give this moron manager something to chew on.
'the manager there sounds ethiopian, known for intolerance toward different groups of people.'
What an intolerant thing you just said!
As a gay man, it seriously amazes me that people claim DC is a gay-friendly city. There are a relatively large number of gay people in 1.5 neighborhoods (Dupont and maaaayyyyybeee Adams Morgan). But there is no general acceptance outside those areas, and the AU campus, which is basically a low-grade Berkeley anyway.)
The black community in DC is, as a whole, extremely hostile to gays. As has been reported in other DCist threads, there's a trend toward black kids beating up white guys they view to be "gay" in Columbia Heights and Shaw. I've been called more anti-gay names (and all by blacks) in my year in DC than I ever had before, cumulatively, by anyone, in the 35 years before I moved here.
In addition to that, you've got the white fratboy and Republican culture, which isn't friendly, either - see the persistent gaybashings in Georgetown (neighborhood) and on the GU campus.
To all those posters who claim DC is a first-rate city: No, it's not. And this is a perfect illustration of why. DC is a third-world collection of hateful poor people and oblivious, hateful rich people, with a lot of self-segregating trust fund kids thrown in. I can't believe the segregation between gays and straights here - whenever I go to a straight friend's party, I'm virtually always the only gay guy there. And when I go to gay parties, there are almost never any straight guys.
A good friend of mine just got a new roommate - the guy is *obviously* gay, as can probably be seen from space. His gaggle of friends are all obviously gay. Yet he refuses to even acknowledge that he's gay and contorts himself into linguistic knots with his new roomies so he can talk about his life without ever using the word "boyfriend" or somesuch.
This is the true face of gay life in DC - don't talk about it, know your place, and god forbid you should step out of your ghetto and not live in fear, because you'll be smashed down by some angry ghetto dawg or some WV-born redneck who doesn't like the look of you.
i dated an ethiopian for years and that statement is based on my experience. perhaps informed came off as intolerant. (that's how i knew his last name was ethiopian.)
Kiss-in at Rite Aid? Game on, Johnboy. I want to kiss you right now--wait, that is you with your paw in the air, right?
2) Is there some hottie out there who'd like to join me for a little kiss-in at the Rite Aid?
If you are attractive--sure.
Thanks for the rant, Jason. You obviously chose the wrong neighborhood to live in, as I know many gay friendly areas of the city. Just because there are places in the city that are gay friendly, does not mean that you can therefore live anywhere in the city and expect people to follow the politically correct laws of the land. There's a lot of different folks out there with a lot of different biases and predjudices, but I'm glad that a single convenience store manager was enough to go off on and generalize the attitudes of 600,000 people.
Krisa - are you serious? You're saying I brought anti-gay prejudice on myself because I "obviously chose the wrong neighborhood to live in"?? Are you fucking for real? So, in other words, it's my fault (and presumably that of these two guys at Rite Aid) because I foolishly expected to be treated fairly in this city. Does that mean that blacks who are harrassed by the police in Gtown brought it upon themselves because they *obviously* shouldn't have been walking around there after dark? After all, wouldn't want to upset local mores, now, would we?
F off and die, why don't you?
Read the last paragraph of my prior post again. You're a perfect example of what I was talking about.
And, for the record, I've spent most of my time in DC living in Adams Morgan.
Krisa are you 'God Warrior'? Was the Store manager 'God Warrior'? These people are insane.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCh2FXzD6R4
To to my fellow gays - Shop in the Rite Aid on Florida and Conn. Avenue - open minded people there. They even have a butch security guard woman working there.
Thanks dupontdude (comment 25): that video was the most entertainment I've had all week....
Hey, getting over prejudice is an evolutionary thing, not an overnight thing. So yes, when you're deciding where to live, you should take into account the type of people you'll be surrounded by. If you decide that DC as a whole is not gay-friendly, then why live there? Why on earth would you assume that just because you move in somewhere that the mentality of everyone around will suddenly change? Too many people live in a PC-idealized bubble where they think just because Hollywood has embraced the gay lifestyle that everyone else on the planet has as well. I'm coming from the devil's advocate perspective, because I have many gay friends, so I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you need to get a grip with reality. People have f*cked up mentalities, and some places are friendlier to people of different lifestyles than others. But thanks for telling me to f*ck off and die, moron.
Jason -
I think pretty much almost all communities seem to have equal dislike for the gays. It's kind of strange considering we're their doctors, lawyers, accountants, politicians, etc.
However, one of the reasons that I feel that the blacks in DC may have a problem with the gays is due to housing. Gay (white) men have been moving into traditionally black neighborhoods, essentially pricing them out of the neighborhood.
Krisa does have a point. Adams Morgan isn't known for it's gay-friendlyness. However, I've never encountered any problems staying on the main roads (maybe it's because i'm not exactly easily identifiable). You chose to live there, probably knowing a good background about that part of town.
Strangely enough, I have encountered most problems in Dupont itself. People driving by and yelling out the F-bomb because I was merely walking with another guy - who wasnt even gay. But, for every gay basher in DC - there's a racist white person, black person, latino, etc.
I refrain from PDA as much as I can - even on 17th St and Dupont Circle - it only takes one person to do something that may put your life in danger. This is just the world we live in.
Is it 2008 yet?
Closed minded people working at local retail shops?
*GASP*
I sort of agree with Jason here Krisa. We're not talking about being politically correct or accepting everyone's life choices, we're talking about someone's basic right to walk around safely and patronize the businesses in their neighborhood. You are right that we can't force people to change overnight, however I think your logic is backwards in concluding that gay people should avoid those areas. Civil rights movement, stand up for your rights blah blah blah. Now if only I could figure out which of Jason's stereotypical boxes I fit in...
Jason:
I've live on Cap Hill for a dozen years as an openly gay man and I've had nearly all positive experiences. It's not the gay ghetto, but it's extremely tolerant.
But I will agree with your comment about some portions of black society in DC. They are extremely hateful toward gays.
And, no, it's not because we're stealing their housing. They would hate us regardless of what we did or didn't do in regard to housing. And, interestingly, they are most hostile toward their own - black gay men. It's because it gives them a group to pick on.
Yikes. I can't believe I actually used the term 'tolerant', which I sortof despise.
You 'tolerate' a cold sore. I'm one of those annoying homos that demands more than 'tolerance'.
What I meant to say is that most people on Capitol Hill have been very friendly and open and they couldn't care less who I'm partnered up with. As long as I take my trash out on the right days, they don't care what else I do.
I think we can all agree to be intolerant towards people who don't take their trash out properly (as mine has been ruminating for a few days and likely driving my roommate batty).
I can't believe Krisa is responding to a story about a gay couple being kicked out of a 13th & U store with gibberish advice about us gays needing to pick the right neighborhood to live in.
First of all, since when is U Street part of Alabama?
Second, she uses language like "Hollywood embraces the gay lifestyle" and "choices" and "lifestyle" again about half a dozen times. What time is is on your computer, Krisa, 1985? If you have all these gay friends you claim, run that retrograde bs past them and then see how your holiday card list shrinks up real fast.
True enough, Dixie. But since my response was mainly a reaction to Jason's anti-DC rhetoric, I was mainly focusing on reactions to those choices. I think that everyone should be allowed to walk around anywhere they choose, but until that happens, there are the safe choices and there are the risky ones. One can't be surprised when a not-so-safe choice results in some minor hardships, but the people that take those risks are the ones that make it easier for everyone thereafter. My best friend realized he was gay while living in a 'southern' state that was less than tolerant, and moved to DC partially because of its friendly attitude toward gays and the community here. So I guess it's all relative and in the eyes of the beholder.
Let's stop whining about this and do something. Check this out:
http://www.thenewgay.net/2007/10/lets-hug-it-out-homophobia-hits-home_26.html
A large part of the black community's homophobia is religious in origin. In the 2004 election, there was overt fearmongering in those communities over gay marriage. In case you've ever wondered why that 11% of AfAms voted for Bush...
Krisa: Jason has a point about the loaded term 'lifestyle.' That terminology has been used by the anti gay people as a shorthand code about gay people. It implies that being gay is simply a lifestyle choice, like RVing across America or dedicating yourself to knitting. It also implies that we are all promiscuous self hating drug abusers, as that is the 'gay lifestyle' that the far right has told America we all are involved in. After decades of putting up with this bullshit term for generations you can see why we are a bit tired of it.
Come to think of it... If there is a gay lifestyle then there must be one monolithic straight lifestyle, right?
I don't like to generalize, but the person who made the observation about Ethiopians is right on the money. From what I've seen, they are more intolerant of gays that any other ethnic group. It's a real shame because those Ethiopian girls are absolutely gorgeous.
Screw not being public affectionate. My partner and I have nothing to be ashamed of. That being said, there are times when we avoid it, but I would say 80% plus of the time we hold hands when we walk around (Capitol Hill, China Town, Georgetown, Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant, Dupont and Adams Morgan). Yes, we have had comments shouted at us, but we have also been stopped by random people and told how great it is, how much it means to them etc. We live in a city and you have to be accepting of all types of people here...
As for being despised by certain groups of people, well, marginalized people often find other groups to marginalize (suburbanites for example). The "other" goes a long way to boosting one's sense of worth.