About 30 members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Alliance and supporters laced up their roller skates and reminisced about grade school birthday parties at Skate World on Saturday night.
But they were also representing visibility and support in response to discrimination several members faced the previous Monday at Skate World in Springfield, LGBTQA Director Chicora Martin said.
Six or seven members of the 18- to 25-year-old LGBTQA community youth group went skating Monday night, she said. Two of the men were hugging, they told Martin, when a manager came up to them and told them they needed to stop or leave. Skate World management said a family had complained the couple was kissing, she said.
Skate World Assistant Manager Angus Laird said Skate World is a “G-rated” establishment, and doesn’t allow anyone to kiss in the building.
The incident had “absolutely nothing to do with any bias — it’s a rule.” he said.
“Otherwise we’d get kids cuddled up in the corner making out,” he added.
But Martin noted that the company policy wasn’t posted in a noticeable location.
She said she doesn’t think Skate World has a discriminatory policy, but that doesn’t eliminate the possibility that the complaint could have been instigated by bias.
“I’ve been verbally harassed at Gateway Mall in the past. It’s more than likely that it was an instance of bias, whether it was management, an employee or someone else,” she said. “But the students there felt it was unwarranted.”
LGBTQA co-Director Colin Hedrick said he’s faced discrimination in the past, but this is the first time the freshman has been part of a support group like LGBTQA.
“I feel it is my duty as a gay person to be supportive when my friends are feeling harassed,” he said. “I have a right to skate here and be at home.”
LGBTQA member and business administration student James Tilford wouldn’t put on the skates for fear of falling, but that didn’t keep him from showing up to support the group.
He said people need to learn “to tolerate each other and respect each other’s beliefs.”
Other members grabbed onto each other’s hands and slipped back into childhood. After two hours of skating, Martin said the event was a success.
She plans to write a thank you letter to the management.
“When we left, the manager said he appreciated us being there,” she said. “We had a really good time.”