The Chronicle-Herald – October 29, 2010
Bar-kissing incident causes Net outcry: Affectionate men were asked to leave
By Davene Jeffrey

The ousting of two young lovebirds from a downtown Halifax bar had the city’s rainbow community up in arms. But in less than a week since an online attack was launched, the two sides have reached an armistice. Saturday night, two men were kicked out of Pogue Fado. Depending on which version you believe, they were either groping each other or they were kissing and hugging.

The pro-smooching camp says the two were wrongly told to “leave or stop acting like a couple.” However, the bar’s co-owner said the two were expelled for lewd behaviour after being warned about it. In a written statement, Richard Stevens said the matter has been investigated and he is satisfied that bar staff did nothing wrong. “Countless other patrons/couples over the years have been given this exact same warning and been made to leave if the behaviour continues. We do not discriminate in any way based on sexual orientation. If the behaviour being displayed is highly inappropriate then the situation must be addressed. This is and will continue to be our policy,” Stevens said in the statement. “It is about inappropriate behaviour. It is not about sexual orientation.” The couple could not be reached for comment.

Whatever happened, the incident has raised controversy on the Internet. The story was posted Sunday on CNN’s iReport, and that sparked two Facebook pages: Boycott Pogue Fado-Halifax, N.S. and Pogue Fado Reverse Boycott. One group urges folks to “boycott establishments like the Pogue Fado who think this blatant display of homophobia is acceptable.” The other encourages gay people to go to the bar. “Rosa Parks didn’t get noticed by getting up and moving to the back when they asked her to. … She sat there and showed them how simple it was for all humans to have the same rights, so we have to show them there is nothing different about having gay patrons in their establishment then having straight ones,” the Reverse Boycott page states, referring to the African-American civil rights activist. A third group, Guerilla GayFare Halifax, is also talking about the Pogue incident. Its website describes the group as “a bunch of gays, lesbians, bis &trans” who “take over” a straight bar the last Friday of every month. The group is considering making its next appearance at Pogue Fado.

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