Warwick Pride accuse bouncer of homophobia

A bouncer working at Smack nightclub in Leamington Spa has been accused by Warwick Pride of discrimination against their members.

The society claimed that on 7 December 2010, two male members of Warwick Pride (who prefer to remain unnamed) were warned by a bouncer that if they did not stop kissing they would be thrown out of the club.

The two individuals immediately requested to see the manager of the club in order to report the alleged discrimination, and were shown to the office. The bouncer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was summoned there shortly afterwards. Immediate action was taken by Smack management, who told the bouncer to apologise to the students, and banned him from working at the club in future.

Steve Smith, the owner of Smack, stated that the bouncer in question “was not one of [the] usual team” and that he was “shocked and disgusted” by what had been said to the students. Smack reiterated that door staff are not hired by them directly, but are provided by Safetynet Security Ltd, who apologised “unreservedly” for the conduct of their employee, and confirmed that the individual’s contract had been terminated following the incident, though it is not clear if he has exercised any right to appeal.

In addition, Smack initiated a follow-up meeting, involving members of Smack management, Safetynet Security Ltd, one of the students involved in the incident and two promoters of GLAS, Birmingham’s biggest gay, lesbian and straight event. During this meeting, Safetynet Security Ltd apologised to the student and informed him of the action that had been taken in response to the incident.

Warwick Pride represents the LGBTUA+ community on campus and are committed to raising “awareness of the oppression suffered by our community” and “directly [combating] bigotry and discrimination wherever they are found” according their website mission statement.

The society, which is entirely student-run, commented “nobody goes to a club expecting to have their gender roles policed”. The society were very disturbed by this incident, considering it an “important rights issue” and added: “The idea that a bouncer can decide someone is ‘acting gay’ is ridiculous anyway, but to then threaten to kick people out on these grounds is appalling”.

In addition, Warwick Pride stated: “While Smack should be commended for its quick dismissal of the bouncer involved, they should be more stringent in preventing this discrimination from happening in the first place.”

In response, the management of Smack explained that “during a job interview, questions regarding a candidate’s views on race, religion, politics and sex cannot be asked. It is for this reason that the homophobic views on the individual did not come to light until he acted in the unsavoury manner he did.”

Smack closed their comment on the matter by stating: “There is nothing more that could have been done, prior to and following the incident”.

Despite Pride’s comments, Smack stated that they were “totally happy that the staff and management of Smack, and the management of Safetynet dealt with this incident in a swift, positive and professional manner”.