Ask Lambda Legal: Public Accommodation
Posted on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 by Bent Alaska
http://www.bentalaska.com/2012/01/ask-lambda-legal-public-accommodation/Public Accommodation
By Natalie Chin, Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal
Q: The other week, a few friends and I were at a restaurant. We attempted to get the attention of the wait staff but it soon became clear to us that we were purposefully not being served. I've heard that people can still be denied services at restaurants just for being gay. Does that still happen?
A: Unfortunately, this type of thing still happens, and it can happen anywhere – Lambda Legal's Help Desk gets calls from all over the country from people who feel they have been mistreated or denied service because they are, or are perceived as, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Public Accommodation Law is what protects certain groups from being discriminated against in places like restaurants. Unfortunately, there is no federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in places of public accommodation. Several states and hundreds of municipalities have laws that protect LGBT people from discrimination, but it is a vast and varied patchwork that differs by state, county and city.
