is it ok for a casino to refuse entry to cross-dressers?

Stuck between a frock and a card place

from the syndey morning herald

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/..._470x304,0.jpg


Les Kennedy
May 26, 2008

PAUL HURST lives much of his life as a woman.

For years the transvestite has been known to friends and those who have seen him perform in Darlinghurst clubs as Anne-Maree.

Dressed in one of his best frocks, Mr Hurst was photographed partying with Maria Venuti at the launch of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert at Star City's Lyric Theatre.

So much did he enjoy the event that a month later he and a friend again frocked up for a night out the casino's new spin-off bar, Priscilla's.

The cross-dressing staff serve cocktails in a flurry of sequins and feathers.

But Mr Hurst was shocked to discover that a security guard had deemed him to be a "man" and "inappropriately dressed" when he was refused entry to the casino at 9.15 on the night of November 1, 2006.

"I was wearing a full red sequin gown. My friend was wearing a red skirt. I have been going to the casino in drag on and off at least three to four times a week for the past 10 years," he told the deputy president of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal, Nancy Hennessy, during a conference hearing in the presence of a solicitor for the casino, Ruth Rosedale, last week.

"We were going into the main gaming room and a guard placed his hand on my shoulder and said: 'you are known here as a man, you are not appropriately dressed, I have to ask you to leave,"' Mr Hurst said. The pair were then escorted from the casino.

The conference in the tribunal's Equal Opportunity Division was called after Mr Hurst, of Coogee, who told Ms Hennessy that "I have always regarded myself as a woman and lived my life as a woman," filed an action alleging the casino has discriminated against him because of his sexual gender and was refused service and asked to leave.

"We set out from Coogee for a night of fun, but didn't make it to the bar. We didn't get past the foyer. It was blatant discrimination," Mr Hurst said.

Ms Hennessy heard that Mr Hurst had taken his complaint to the Anti-Discrimination Board but a mediation conference had ended with the casino, which is contesting his action, refusing to settle a demand for $15,000 in damages.

Ms Rosedale told Ms Hennessy the casino was still amenable to a mediation conference, but this was rejected by Mr Hurst, who alleged the casino had changed its version of events.

She then tendered two letters to the Anti-Discrimination Board, the first stating that Mr Hurst was "wearing an extremely short skirt that barely covered his groin region, white underwear and garters … were visible".

The second letter, sent in October , said it was Mr Hurst's friend "Russell" who was inappropriately dressed in the short red skirt and white pants and garters, and that Mr Hurst had been welcome to stay.

After hearing that Mr Hurst wanted the matter to go to hearing, Ms Hennessy granted an order to obtain a copy of the casino's security video of the incident.

She also told Mr Hurst that under the Anti-Discrimination Act the tribunal can only hear transgender cases.

"The Anti-Discrimination Act does not protect transvestites, it protects transsexuals, but you said you live as a woman," Ms Hennessy said. "Before the tribunal can hear the case what you have to be able to prove to the court is that sexually you are a transsexual."

Ms Hennessy ordered that both parties reappear before the tribunal on July 30, for a conference that will determine a date for hearing.

I'm against such discrimination... if we have women that can wear dresses...shouldnt men have that ability to as well...

The men got to vote... and the public decided that it was only fair we got to ...too.

He is, decently covered. More so than most casino women with lost of legs and cleavage.

AND if you go back far enough... men used to wear dresses... in the forms of robes...

and eventually only men could wear pants... and that changed.

CAUGHT BETWEEN A FROCK AND A CARD PLACE!!!! BWAHAHAHA

lots of places have dress codes, if you don't like it go somewhere else, I really don't give a shit about crossdressers, but I would hate having my business being dictated to in such a way.

I remember a bar in Newcastle that won't allow Goth lads in because they think if a male wears make-up, he must be gay. The bar was on the edge of what is known as the "Pink Triangle", which is where all the gay bars are. It was bloody stupid. If you went in un-made up, it was ok. A lot of lads would go in, buy a drink then go to the loo and put on their make-up. As soon as it was on, the staff would ask them to finish their drinks and go.

discrimination of crossdressers in a casino that has a crossdressing gimmick?

.......?

Too bad it wasn't at Ayers rock -- I love that line from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert:

A cock in a frock on the Rock.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Black Spiral Dancer

I remember a bar in Newcastle that won't allow Goth lads in because they think if a male wears make-up, he must be gay. The bar was on the edge of what is known as the "Pink Triangle", which is where all the gay bars are. It was bloody stupid. If you went in un-made up, it was ok. A lot of lads would go in, buy a drink then go to the loo and put on their make-up. As soon as it was on, the staff would ask them to finish their drinks and go.

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What was worse was that the pub in question was advertising "Beer as Cold as the Grave", "Dead Good Food" and used to have copies of prints of historical figures such as... Vlad the Impaler! Bloody stupid people!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Black Spiral Dancer

What was worse was that the pub in question was advertising "Beer as Cold as the Grave", "Dead Good Food" and used to have copies of prints of historical figures such as... Vlad the Impaler! Bloody stupid people!

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sounds like mixed signals

If a woman was dressed as a man, the situation would be treated differantly. It's just clothes, as long as it wasn't unappropriate, covering up his bits and whatnot, then it really shouldn't be a problem. Aside from that, the man had been going there for 10 years and there was no problems.

when I was in york I wasn't allowed into a bar because I was wearing "trainers", I went to the store got a black jiffy marker and made the laces black and had no more problems.

Anyway, I've never been to an establishment that admitted absolutely anyone

everyone has thier pet peeves

It's funny. I used to wear a pair of Canvas HiTek Magnums, and was turned away from a bar for wearing trainers, then another bar for wearing work boots? Some doormen/bouncers have some strange ideas of what you should wear. One club wouldn't let you in if you were wearing skin tight jeans (and Male, females were ok).
Double standards!

yeah, England has stranges bias' unlike anywhere else, I still wonder about the white laces thing......some kind of bizaar gang thing?

Well, if you wear white laces in Doctor Martens, it is seen as a sign of you being a racist (member of the BNP/National Front)

uum...the security guard is a buthead.lol..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Black Spiral Dancer

Well, if you wear white laces in Doctor Martens, it is seen as a sign of you being a racist (member of the BNP/National Front)

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YES! I used to wear white laces in my Docs and always got hassled for it.
Let me get this right, I CAN'T judge you by the colour of your skin, but you CAN judge me by the colour of my laces!
Oh...ok...makes sense. FUCK YOU.

ok..everyone..especialy mystoo..chill the fuck out..ok?...black spiral didn't say shit about you being racist... why are you being so defensive?

I do believe Mystoo was agreeing with him, and not saying fuck you to him but rather fuck you to the people who view that as them being racist.....

Right Syrran, I WAS referring to all the shit I USED to take from people about the damn laces. And just because of this conversation, I'm putting them back in. Fuck it.

hahaha Syrran ftw...yes!

Mystoo: for the record I was wondering if you were saying fuck you to Dancer.