Lesbian couple withdraw bar complaint

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

A lesbian couple who said they were kicked out of a Wellington bar for sharing a kiss have decided not to take the matter further after media were invited to watch CCTV footage of the incident.

In an open letter on her Facebook page, Rebekah Galbraith said she was kicked out of Public on Courtenay Place in the central city at 2.50am on Sunday when a male staff member spotted her kissing her girlfriend Jennie Leadbeater goodbye.

The man walked over and told them they would need to leave immediately, saying the move was an order from his bosses, Ms Galbraith said.

"He excluded us on the basis of our sexuality, I truly believe that.

"I would really like an apology. I think I deserve that and I think my girlfriend deserves that. We don't deserve to be discriminated against."

She said she planned to complain to the Human Rights Commission over the incident.

Public owner Gina Mills today invited media to watch CCTV footage of the incident.

3 News reported tonight that after its reporter watched the footage the complaint was withdrawn.

Yesterday Ms Mills said the staff member did not discriminate against the couple because of their sexuality and Ms Galbraith and Ms Leadbeater had been behaving inappropriately.

They were asked to leave after they became aggressive at being told to "tone it down", she said.

Ms Galbraith and Ms Mills could not be reached for comment by this evening.