Manchester: Gay couple turned away from JD Wetherspoon’s pub
A gay man claims he and his partner were refused entry to a JD Wetherspoon’s pub in Manchester due to their sexual orientation.
Joshua Fox, 23, says the pair were turned away from The Moon Under Water pub on Deansgate by doormen after they had been for a meal in Manchester.
Door staff at the pub reportedly told them that the venue was only welcoming “mixed couples” for entry.
Mr Fox, a showbiz journalist now living in London, was visiting his partner and family when they went to the pub.
Manchester Evening News reports he said: “The doorman stopped us to check our ID, then said “mixed couples only tonight” and refused to let us in. It was quite shocking really.
“I was staying in a flat near the pub and go in there all the time. I’m surprised they didn’t recognise me to be honest.”
In a blog post Mr Fox has said that although a second staff member allowed the couple entry, they were affected by the incident and decided not to have a drink at the pub.
My 6 year love of Wetherspoons ended last night after being refused entry bc I wasn’t in a ‘mixed couple’ I’ll take my gay elsewhere thnx
— Joshua Fox (@joshua_fox) December 28, 2014
In a letter to Mr Fox, JD Wetherspoon noted: “Parties of a single sex may be refused entry in order to maintain a balanced and pleasant environment for all customers.”
“This is based on some experiences in which the atmosphere in our pubs has been spoiled due to an unbalanced ratio between men and women.
“I appreciate that you feel that this action was unjust and please accept our apologies for any inconvenience that this caused you.”
A JD Wetherspoon spokesman said: “Wetherspoon is proud of the fact that its pubs welcome a cross section of customers.
“We have discussed the incident with the manager who in turn has spoken with door staff and they are adamant that they did not mention the fact relating to mixed couples.
“We appreciate that this was an upsetting situation for the man involved, however, we reiterate that there was no discrimination towards him.
“We see from his blog that he was a fan of Wetherspoon pubs and hope that he will return to the pub in due course.”
