Bar owner backs worker who asked 'amorous' gay pair to leave

Rebekah Galbraith (inset) said she was kicked out of Public in Wellington after kissing her girlfriend goodbye. Photo / Supplied

The owner of a Wellington bar accused of homophobia after a gay woman claimed to be kicked out for kissing her girlfriend said the pair were being "too amorous".

But the women say that's untrue and that the bouncer admitted to them at the time that it was because they were gay that they were asked to leave.

In an open letter to the Public bar on Facebook, Rebekah Galbraith said a bouncer walked over to her and her girlfriend, Jennie Leadbeater, after spotting them kissing in the small hours of Sunday morning.

The 22-year-old university student said they were told they would need to leave immediately.

"When we asked why we had to leave, no reason was given, just the repeated command, 'you need to leave, both of you now'."

Once they were outside on Courtenay Place, she accused him of targeting her because she was gay. "He agreed, and shrugged, and said 'It's not my place', and with a smirk, claimed he 'Wished it could be different'.

Gina Mills, who owns the bar, which has been open for three years, said they were not excluded because of their sexuality.

"It's just disappointing people can make accusations against people that are false and on top of that ludicrous," she told the Herald.

"They were asked to leave because they became quite aggressive when they were asked to 'tone it down'. They were in the bar at 2.45 or 2.50 in the morning, sitting on top of our table behaving inappropriately."

When Mrs Mills was asked to define what she meant by "behaving inappropriately", she said:

"You'll have to work that one out for yourself. It's late at night in a bar, intoxication levels are there.

"They were asked to tone it down. It wasn't because they were gay because we've asked heterosexual couples to tone it down if they get too amorous everywhere because sometimes it's uncomfortable for people."

Queer officer at Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association Genevieve Fowler, who spoke on behalf of Miss Galbraith and Miss Leadbeater last night, said this was "absolutely not true".

"We'd be prepared to bring forth CCTV footage or talk to staff members who were there ... it's just blatantly untrue and it really hurts us who know Rebekah and Jennie that that's the vision that's in the public at the moment, that they're hussies."

Mrs Mills has spoken to the staff member who asked the couple to leave and said he disputed Miss Galbraith's version of events.

But Ms Fowler said she was "almost positive" the bouncer changed his story when he spoke to Mrs Mills "in order to keep his job".

Mrs Mills was disappointed that Miss Galbraith went straight to Facebook to air her complaints, instead of contacting the bar first.

"I've been called homophobic and everything that goes with it because young Rebekah wants her day in the sun and every media in the whole of New Zealand is giving it to her."