Conference quark::human_relations

    
    	Re .0 - I'm sure there are...
    
    	When I was in college, I once lived on a street that was close to
    a "border" between a predominantly white neighborhood and a predominantly
    black one. A neat place to live. There was a bar on the corner just up the 
    road, which from what I could tell, had predominantly white clientele. 
    Just across the street there was another drinking establishment and it was 
    clear that they had predominantly black clientele. This same situation was 
    also true on another nearby corner of that neighborhood, from what I recall.
    
    	Though I never tried it, I imagine that if I (being white) had gone 
    alone into the bar that had predmoinantly black clientele, that I might 
    get a sense of being out of place, possibly a 'cold' treatment from the
    employees. So, how come? People like to have their comfortable spaces,
    where everything is familiar and consistant. There's nothing to bring
    up any contentions, nothing particularly to suggest or remind anyone of
    anything "acute" perhaps. That's part of the emotional attraction to a 
    tavern from what I've heard - besides the comforting effect of the alcohol.
    
    	Food; it's well known that it too has a comforting quality. "Good
    restaurant, exquisite cusine, fine wine" - sounds comfortable already,
    right? So it's comprehendable that this could all be extended into the
    the context of an eating establishment from a drinking establishment;
    with different clientele frequenting different places. Perhaps the
    Gay and Lesbian folks have just found for themseleves a place where
    they can get away from the heterosexual community for a while and be
    comfortable in familiar surroundings - without even a reminder of the
    world outside.
    
    	It is the exception that someone would *welcome* a distraction from
    their comfortable state of mind. Perhaps the sense of unwelcome you
    thought you felt was accurate; and was simply a product of human nature.
    
    	Help?
    
    	Joe

    Yes, there are restaurants where the clientele is predominantly
    gay/bi/lesbian.
    
    There are also restaurants where service is woefully subpar.
    
    You happened to go to a restaurant where you encountered both at once.
    
    					andrew

    I can relate to that.  There's a so-called gay restaurant in Back Bay
    called the Blue Wave, and though I can see how it has a fair amount of
    appeal to those who like busy, noisy restaurants, I've found that its
    service has been woefully lacking the couple of times I've been there.
    
    But I don't think it's the result of discrimination in my case; I'm gay
    myself.
    
    There is a state law (which I helped to pass) which protects all people
    from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in several
    categories, including public accommodations like restaurant service.  It
    cuts both ways, protecting gay and non-gay people alike.  You might
    contact the manager of that restaurant and mention that you are familiar
    with this legislation and that you expect to receive the same level
    of service as any of his gay clientele (and, if you like, that one of
    your gay coworkers supports you on this).
    
    Smart business managers know that for every customer complaint which
    reaches their ears, dozens of other customers feel the same way but are
    afraid to voice it.  I think you'll find a very receptive ear; give it
    a try.
    
    -rich
    Mass Storage Engineering OEM D&SG  SHR1-3/O13    DTN:  237-2124
    Work: [email protected]                      508-841-2124
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    that's too bad the patrons were ignorant to the others, some of the
    best restaurants are owned and run by gay people,(mostly men)
    if the so-called straight community can openly hug their loved ones
    there has to be places for the rest of the world too....
    
    try another one next time and enjoy
    

Ahhh Gi'day...�

    This is  not  an  uncommon  occurrance  here  in  Sydney.   There  is a
    fantastically  large  gay  population  here.  A lot of places straights
    aren't  exactly  welcome.   Quite  a  few places where lesbians tend to
    frequent  are  openly  hostile to men (esp.  straight), and quite often
    bar them from entry.

    I guess they call it "feeling comfortable amongst their own community".

    I guess that's what they also said on the southern busses.

    There was a case here recently where the local gay community managed to
    bar  the  development of an amusement arcade, because "it attracted the
    wrong  type  of  person"  (young  white  hetero  males).   They seem to
    associate  them with bashing gays (although around this area, they'd be
    outnumbered 10 to 1).

    Of course,  it  is  now  a  CRIMINAL  OFFENSE in this state of "vilify"
    homosexuals,  a  privilege  that  doesn't to people like me (as a white
    male,  I'm  probably better off as a DWM).  Especially to the lesbian I
    saw yesterday wearing a tee-shirt that said:

			"So many men, so few bullets"

    Inserting the  word "homosexual" before men could get you 5 years jail.

    hey, thanks for the warning, was going to try it but not now Rich..
    
    	rsvp