Gay Actor Drew Droege & Date Told Affection Unwelcome at L.A. Eatery
A gay actor who was on a date at a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles is receiving an outpouring of support online after experiencing a homophobic episode with a manager at the establishment.On Monday evening, Drew Droege was enjoying the company of his date while the couple was dining and having drinks before a show the pair was planning to see.
The two men had enjoyed dinner and drinks and were expressing their affection for one another when, according to Droege, the manager of El Compadre in Echo Park approached the couple.“We had our arms around each other and kissed a few times,” Droege wrote in a Facebook post. “A manager approached our table and said something to the [effect] of, ‘you guys can’t do that here.”Droege continued, “We were confused at first, but then he very firmly stated, ‘this is a family restaurant.’”He wrote that he asked the manager whether somebody had complained because, as far as he could see, the restaurant was filled with straight couples who were dining, laughing, and engaging in similarly affectionate behavior.“He threw his hands in front of us and said, ‘I don’t care if you’re the President of the United States, we don’t allow your behavior here,’” Droege recounted on Facebook.El Compadre Restaurants posted a statement to Instagram on Tuesday before deleting it.“We have read all of your comments and concerns, and we are looking into what happened Monday night at our Echo Park location,” the message read. “While we work to learn more, we want to make it clear we stand with the LGBTQ community and hold no space for intolerance, hate, or unjust treatment of our beloved guests regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,.
