Transgender rights activist Charlotte Clymer has shared her personal experience of bathroom policing and now a Washington restaurant is scrambling to apologise.
Clymer, who works for the US based Human Rights Campaign and is a military veteran, was at DC restaurant celebrating a friends Bachelorette party at the Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar.
When she went to use the women’s bathroom a staff member stopped her and demanded that she produce ID proving that she was female. Clymer noted that she was the only person waiting to use the bathroom who was asked to produce identification.
After she went into the restroom a male staff member followed her into the facilities. She later posted to her Twitter account saying she could hear the man opening and closing cubicle doors.
After she left the bathroom she was approached by the bathroom attendant and the venue’s manager, who told her that DC law required her to present ID proving that she was female.
The transgender rights advocate pointed out that there was no such law and asked the manager to show her where this law existed. The manager refused to show her the law he was quoting, but threatened to call the police. Clymer said she’d welcome some police attendance, but the manager then refused to call them.
The manager then got a bouncer to remove Clymer from the venue. Once outside Clymer called the police herself.
When they arrived they agreed with her about the law, and told the restaurant manager he was wrong. Charlotte however did not get an apology from him.
Charlotte also noted how great the local police were, checking with her about her preferred pronouns.
After the activist shared her experience on Twitter, it got a lot of attention. The restaurant has now publicly apologised for the incident and is promising to train its staff correctly.
Clymer has responded by pointing out how the incident made her feel.
“I wish I could be magnanimous and let this be sufficient, but I can’t,” she wrote on Twitter. “Your manager intentionally made up a fake law to humiliate me, mocked me when I patiently showed him the actual law and acted with condescension and aggression in response.”
The incident also got the attention of Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.
“We won’t accept this type of discrimination in Washington, DC. It’s not just illegal, it’s against all we stand for.” the Mayor responded.
OIP Staff
