Two gay men kicked out of Chico's Tacos restaurant for kissing

Two gay men kissed at a Chico's Tacos restaurant, prompting guards to eject them and a police officer to endorse their ouster.

[Carmen G]

Well what if I was with my child, and he saw two men kissing. What do I tell them?

A) Say everything is acceptable among consenting adults, and discourage any judgement B) Tell my child our Christian faith condemns the act but not the individual C)Tell them every major religion and civilization has embraced male - female relationships. D) Go back inside to Chicos and order another of their disgusting tacos and act like nothing happened.

[Opinion]

Who cares?

[Opinion]

Okay, on a serious note...why call the police for "discrimination?" That's not a crime, it's a civil matter. So these folks were wasting the police's resources already. The police doesn't enforce ADA laws either...so now do we expect them to respond when a business doesn't have proper wheelchair ramps?

If the officer said he was going to cite them for homosexual conduct, he was obviously wrong, as that law refers to sex acts and not kissing. But of course, the ACLU will find every possible way to make the police look bad, so they are going to go after this much more than the security guards at Chico's.

I think these people know exactly which buttons to push and then act like "victims" when the timing is right.

[Opinion]

...but it was wrong for Chicos to kick them out. They wouldn't have done that to a straight couple, but don't call the police, go cry to your lawyer...it's not a crime, just a civil matter.

[question]

the ACLU can kiss my C..U L O

[the truth]

Ban them from every restaurant in town!

[Now it matters]

If I had been the cops that showed up, I would of given them a citation for wasting my time. When are these people going to go away. Its not right, its not civil and as a Christian, I can only pray for them.

[EP smarts]

They should of gone to the White House where someone cares...oh thats right....that dude is in Italy.

[Dorado]

Fack that Shait!!!(Chicos Tacos I mean)

[Scott]

City ordinance 10.16.010 reads in relevant part: It is unlawful for any...corporation...thereof within the city, to refuse, deny or withhold from any person, for any reason directly or indirectly relating to the...sexual orientation...of such person, any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities or services offered to the general public by place of public accommodation.

10.16.020 defines public accommodation to include restaurants.

10.16.050 makes violation of the ordinance a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $200.

Taken in total, for better or worse, it would appear that indeed what happened may have been a criminal violation of city code. Of course given that this cop was ready to write up the two for sodomy (which hasn't been the law here since Lawrence v. Texas in 2003), I'm not real surprised that this was not known to him.

Of course if the two gay guys were causing a scene, they could have been charged with disturbing the peace.

[not chicken]

i dare them to that in a public place with no security. see what happens. you gay guys are cowards. at least have the guts to "express" yourself outsdie the protection of secuirty guards. oh yeah, i forgot, you guys wouldn't dare. you guys are a joke.

[no name]

I'm sorry but people shouldn't be kissing in public..I hate to see that...my husband and I don't kiss ( make out) in public I think its' rude and inapproriate

[WHATEVER]

get a room people its so rude wheather your gay or not to kiss in public ok maybe a peck but making out I don't like to see couples do that PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!

[Leaders]

To hell with chicos tacos. They should be closed for the crap they serve. Hope this makes it to the real news and gets national attention about how much El Paso remains in the dark ages.

[Leaders]

What a great country we live in. You no longer have the freedom to be an American, the person next to you or your neighbor may be bothered. Eevery great civilization has collapsed under the weight of all the bu*lsh*t, finger pointing, and laziness by its citizens.

[Voice of reason]

WAIIT ONE MINUTE…if these “men” are kissing in public, do I as a fellow AMERICAN not have the right to be offended? I will be tolerant of another mind set, but what about my civil rights or that of my children?
I support the Chico’s guards for taking the action of removing them from the location, how it was done…well I am sure according to these gay men...It was the most horrible thing ever and the most humiliating experience of their life…$$$,$$$,$ I am sure the security officers will have a different story.
If a straight couple kisses in public it is tolerated as this is openly accepted by society as whole as appropriate. If two men or two women do it…it as of yet is not acceptable by society as a whole. What goes on in private, well that is in private and to each their own.
DISCRIMINATION? Please!!! Why? This is discrimination because this establishment decides to execute it prerogative to refuse service? So if person with foul body odor enters a restaurant and sits there, no one can be offended by the odor and request that they ask that person to leave? What is the discrimination here, against the foul body odor or the person? If while at the movies another patron refuses to stop talking during the feature presentation, do I not have the right to ask them to stop… is this discrimination? Why is there such a thing as late night T.V. programming? Is this discrimination? Come on! Be cognizant of your actions.
Discrimination has been misinterpreted and the word…Whiner should be used instead. As for the city issue, why is it that there are city ordinances against adult entertainment establishments? Could this not be discrimination by the City? Why doesn’t Ms. Stone defend these businesses as well? Why do these businesses have to be away from schools, a church, day cares, residential areas, etc., but two men can kiss in family restaurant and that is ok?

[Voice of reason]

Scott wrote:

City ordinance 10.16.010 reads in relevant part: It is unlawful for any...corporation...thereof within the city, to refuse, deny or withhold from any person, for any reason directly or indirectly relating to the...sexual orientation...of such person, any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities or services offered to the general public by place of public accommodation.
10.16.020 defines public accommodation to include restaurants.
10.16.050 makes violation of the ordinance a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $200.
Taken in total, for better or worse, it would appear that indeed what happened may have been a criminal violation of city code. Of course given that this cop was ready to write up the two for sodomy (which hasn't been the law here since Lawrence v. Texas in 2003), I'm not real surprised that this was not known to him.
Of course if the two gay guys were causing a scene, they could have been charged with disturbing the peace.

This just means that they can’t deny service because of their sexual preference, not that they can’t deny service because of actions committed. YES disturbing the peace! That was the reason they were kicked out!!!!!

[Freedom]

You gays complaining about this, you should realize that El Paso is a Catholic city where this is not tolerated. YOUR RIGHT TO BE FREE, INCLUDES MY RIGHT TO BE FREE FROM YOU, GOT IT, NOW GET OUT OF OUR CITY!!!!!!!!!!

[simple]

They weren't kicked out because they are gay. They were kicked out for the public displays of affection that they got complaints about.

All they have to do is put up a signing reading "please refrain from intimate displays of affection in here" and that would apply to everyone.

[Chico]

I like that the security firm is called All American International Security. That's oxymoronic.