Gays allege tavern ban

Press, 11 September 1981, Page 4

Gays allege tavern ban

Members of a newly formed group, Gays and Lesbians Against Discrimination, say that they have been “thrown out" of the Cantabrian Tavern. The hotel’s management has denied the allegation. A spokesman for the group, Mr H. Gaw, said that over the last two weeks gay people had been refused service and asked to leave the lounge bar "simply because they were gay.” Others had been asked .to leave because they were improperly dressed, even though they had regularly visited the bar over the last three years. The bar had been a popular meeting place for lesbians and gay men since similar action was taken at the Vacation Hotel three years ago, he said. Gay people would not try to return to the tavern if they were not welcome there. Mr Gaw asserted that four people had been to see the lessee of the Cantabrian, Mr N. G. Mattison, and had been told that gay people were no longer welcome at the hotel. The policy also applied to the Shades Tavern, which was also managed by Mr Mattison, he said.

Mr Mattison said yesterday that gay people were “certainly not being victimised.” The policy at the Cantabrian was to fulfil the requirements under the Sale of Liquor Act, which said that the management had the right to refuse to serve

liquor to any person in a lounge bar without giving a reason. ' . ... There had been some problems with damage caused in the hotel and the staff had been told to take what action was necessary. “If some people are refused service and wish to identify themselves as gay, that is their prerogative. There are probably lots of other people who have been refused service who are not gay. I cannot say whether gays have been'refused,” he said. i The matter was minor and was a “day-to-day thing that happens in the running of a pub.” Mr Gaw said his group was set up by about 30 people on Wednesday evening. It was collecting statements from people who had been refused service at the Cantabrian and were considering what legal action could be taken. The Human Rights Commission officer in Christchurch, Mr R. L. Caird, said that the commission could not act on the allegations because sexual orientation was not included in the Human Rights Act as a ground for unlawful discrimination. The group would hold a protest march this evening and it would be directed against the tavern, said Mr Gaw. The march would start after a meeting in Cathedral Square at 6.45 p.m.