A man is calling for an apology from an LGBTIQA+ venue in Brisbane after a staff member allegedly asked him to leave the venue for wearing a Trump 2024 cap.
Queensland man Rob Holt was attending the Whickham Hotel in Fortitude Valley last weekend for an early Halloween Celebration when says a staff member raised concern over his cap from the campaign to elect Donald Trump as the President of the USA.
He’s spoken to a variety of media outlets of the last few days sharing his experience, while the venue in question is keeping quiet.
Speaking to Nine News Holt recounted his experience.
‘She just continued to tell me that it’s a gay bar and I needed to leave.” he said.
“She said some people in here don’t feel safe and they’re a bit worried with you wearing that in here.”
Holt told the broadcaster that he’d been at the venue for several hours with his wife and young daughter when the alleged incident happened and being approached by staff left him confused and embarressed.
“Especially my 6-year-old daughter, I didn’t want her to see her father being kicked out of an establishment for what I deemed to be no reason.” Holt said.
Holt said he understands that people might be upset about Donald Trump’s policies relating to LGBTIQA+ people but if other patrons at the venue were concerned, they should have spoken to him.
“That’s why we have conversations, nothing gets solved by telling people to leave and shutting them down.” Holt said before adding that he hoped he hadn’t offended anyone.
Holt also shared his experience with 2GB Breakfast host Ben Fordham noting that he was already leaving the venue when staff approached him. He said he proposed to staff how they would feel if their roles were reversed.
“Imagine if you can, that you approach another establishment and you are wearing a pride hat or something like that, and you’re asked to leave. I can imagine that would be a big deal.” Holt said.
Holt says he’s worried about ‘social contagion’
The Queensland dad told Ben Fordham he was concerned about social contagion.
“The thing I’m most worried about is that the new social contagion sort of coming across from America to Australia, where you get refused service, you are kicked out of establishments, not for who you are, but for what you believe in, or what you wear,” he said.
“The last time I checked, we’re a multicultural country with many beliefs and we prop up the little person for what they believe in, and we support minorities and so on like that, everyone’s allowed to have their opinion. We’re a democracy. Free speech. I guess it’s just a little bit of how it’s heading these days, you know it’s disappointing.”
The Whickham Hotel is part of the Australian Venue Co, who operate many venues around Australia including The Court Hotel in Perth. OUTinPerth reached out to the company for comment but did not receive a response.
