By Melissa McEwan, Shakesville
Posted on August 27, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/htt...pot.com/96627/
Lapriss Gilbert was escorted out of the Van Nuys, CA Social Security office this Monday, because her t-shirt, which reads "Lesbian.com," was deemed "offensive."
As she headed for a line to pick up a Social Security card for her son, Gilbert was stopped by a guard who said her T-shirt, naming an educational and resource Web site for gay women, was offensive.
She said the guard, who works for a private company hired by the Department of Homeland Security, demanded that she leave the building or face arrest.
"As an African-American and a lesbian, I haven't been through one day without facing some sort of discrimination ... but this is just shocking," said Gilbert, 31.
Lori Haley, a federal spokeswoman for the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - which is under the Homeland Security umbrella - said the guard was out of line.
"We believe that the actions of the contract security guard were inappropriate and unacceptable - we have notified his company, Paragon, of our position in the matter," Haley said.
In good news, "Lapriss was told she could come back into the building and was escorted to the front of the line by another Paragon security guard" because "nobody in that office felt her T-shirt was offensive by any means."
In bad news, several of the stories I've now read about this incident (including the AP's coverage) describe the shirt as "promoting lesbianism." As if Lesbian.com is a freaking recruitment site. Good grief.
Bad move. Bad, bad, bad move. I'm sure the ACLU will be all over this and I see a huge lawsuit ahead.
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