Texas Nightclub Tells Non-Binary Patron Not to Use Women’s Restroom

Timing of Incident Suggests State GOP Leaders’ Anti-Trans Rhetoric May Be Fueling Harassment

A patron who identifies as non-binary is calling for a boycott of a Texas bar after they were told not to use the women’s restroom in response to a complaint from another customer.

Sven Petra Wilde (above), 25, was wearing female clothing Friday night and chose to use the women’s restroom at the Abbey Underground in Denton, a college town near Dallas that’s home to the University of North Texas. 

After another customer complained, a manager told Wilde not to use the women’s room, according to a report in The Denton Record-Chronicle.

In a Facebook post Wilde explained the incident.

The Abbey Underground now plans to add a single-stall, unisex restroom in response to the incident. But Wilde says that’s not good enough and wants the bar to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination.

In addition to calling for a boycott, Wilde is encouraging people to leave one-star reviews on the bar’s Facebook page with the hashtag #BanBigotry.

“I didn’t ask for another bathroom,” Wilde wrote. “I didn’t feel uncomfortable in the women’s bathroom. I was uncomfortable with having some woman have more power over where I piss than myself. If there’s an extra bathroom for everyone, that’s great. I’ll probably still use the women’s with my friends because I’m comfortable there.”

Tim Trawick, co-owner of the Abbey Underground, told the Record-Chronicle the bar has never had an official restroom policy and doesn’t plan to implement one. Likewise, Denton has no ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in public accommodations. In a statement on Facebook, the Abbey Undergound wrote:

For years, people of all gender types and sexual orientation have had full access to both of our bathrooms. However, a recent incident/complaint has led us to review this matter. We want ALL our guests to feel respected & safe!

For the long term, we are converting one of our toilets into a stand alone unisex bathroom. Until we have completed that construction, if you’re not comfortable for ANY reason using our downstairs facilities, one of the staff will escort you upstairs to use one of the available bathrooms there. We realize how important this issue is to everyone. We want to be proactive and get “ahead of the curve.”

It’s not the first time the Abbey Underground has been accused of anti-LGBT discrimination. In 2013, a lesbian couple said management failed to intervene after they suffered anti-gay harassment at the Abbey Underground. That incident led to the formation of Keep Denton Queer, an online forum for people to post about LGBT-supportive businesses.

Texas, of course, has become a major battleground in the fight over trans restroom access. Last week, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Texas and nine other states, challenging the Obama administration’s directive that requires public schools to allow trans students to use restrooms based on their gender identity. 

And GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sent a letter to all Texas districts this week encouraging them to ignore the directive. In an interview Wednesday with Time Warner Cable News, Patrick said he would “consider” meeting with trans kids and their parents, in response to their invitation during an Equality Texas news conference on Tuesday. 

https://player.vimeo.com/video/168896549

 

Image via Facebook