A Christchurch man claims he was discriminated against after being thrown out of a popular pizza joint by a security guard for showing his “tits”.
Bryn Monk had been performing at a Pride event when he headed into popular nightlife spot the Terrace on Saturday.
He stopped off with his friend Sophia Gottlieb to Sal's Pizza for a bite to eat.
That’s when the store’s contracted security took exception to how he was dressed.
Monk had let the top few buttons of his shirt hang open but wasn’t “trying to flash anyone” with how he was dressed.
“This guy approached us and said, 'Can you button up your shirt? I don’t want to see that. That’s disgusting,'” Gottlieb told 1 NEWS.
In a video supplied by the pair, the security guard can be heard denying it was an act of homophobia but he “didn’t want to see his breasts”.
Monk said even if his nipples had been exposed, it “wasn’t intentional”.
“There was nothing inappropriate with how low my buttons were unbuttoned… and there was definitely an overreaction from the guard on duty.”
They pair allege the security guard had also muttered “bye gay c***s” as the pair walked away from the eatery.
Store owner Nick Turner said he felt as though he’d been “sucker-punched” upon hearing about Saturday night’s incident.
He said he’d severed ties with security firm October Protection first thing Sunday morning.
“I felt terrible, as it doesn’t represent our core values,” said Turner, also the South Island manager for Sal's Pizza.
“They shouldn’t have been treated like that, I felt very sick about it”.
Due to the pizza joint’s proximity to the central city clubs, security had been employed to protect staff and customers on late nights.
Thomas apologised directly to the pair, saying the store doesn’t have a dress code and they shouldn’t have been discriminated against.
The store’s manager had been absent on the night of the incident - as a prominent member of the LGBTQ+ community he’d taken it off to attend pride events.
While appreciative of the company’s swift action, Monk and Gottlieb said they’re yet to hear back from the security company.
October Protection told 1 NEWS it was aware of the allegations and takes them "extremely seriously".
"(We) have an absolute zero tolerance for any discriminatory behavior or inappropriate conduct towards our staff, clients and their patrons."
It was gathering information before taking any further steps.
It’s not the first time the pair say members of the LGBTQ+ community have been targeted at the city’s clubs and bars, with many coming forward after Gottlieb posted on Facebook.
“Personally, I’ve dealt with it quite a lot,” said Monk. “Security guards at clubs on the Terrace thinking ‘oh… he’s too flamboyant. He’s a problem’”.
Gottlieb said she's treated differently by security when out with her girlfriend compared to when she's with friends.
It’s not the first-time venues at the popular Oxford Terrace strip have copped heat for their treatment of the queer community.
A man told 1 NEWS in November he was kicked out of the popular Fat Eddies for kissing a male friend, an accusation the bar denied.
Now it’s happening “a lot more” to queer individuals when out on the town and is "going to have repercussions".
"No one in the queer community wants to feel they can't be themselves while they are out in town," said Monk.
They’re asking security at these popular venues to have more training and work on how to de-escalate situations to prevent instances like Saturday night from occurring.
The security guard in question has been approached for comment.
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