Conflicting accounts of gay kiss in Limassol club – Cyprus Mail
One of the two men who was told to leave a Limassol club over the weekend has refuted the owner’s version of events and insists that they were kicked out for kissing.
The incident just before midnight at Metropole Retro Club sparked outrage this week after accusations emerged that a member of the security team had told the two men to leave for kissing each other.
The owner told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday that their behaviour had been excessive and that their sexual orientation played no role, and that other patrons present had complained over their behaviour.
But one of the men who was asked to leave has since contacted the Cyprus Mail to tell their side of the story – which paints a very different picture.
“A few minutes after we ordered our drinks, my boyfriend and I kissed and danced a bit,” he said, adding that this likely lasted a few seconds or a few minutes at most.
He explained that a few moments later a man came up to them and told his partner something – which he overheard as “finish your drinks and leave”.
The man then asked the barman what they had done wrong and were told that “you kissed a guy”.
He said that they then left and were “shocked” by the incident – with his boyfriend calling the manager soon after and explaining the situation.
“The owner then asked if we were two men, and when he replied that yes, we are a gay couple, the manager said that the security acted correctly, and that ‘we are not allowed in his place’,” the person told the Cyprus Mail.
He further said that: “In any case, I stand by the fact that we did nothing inappropriate, and had no idea that kissing and dancing together at a nightclub would have offended anyone. It’s a nightclub after all, not a church.”
The club has insisted that they welcome everyone but that the pair had begun engaging in extreme sexual contact which drew complaints from others present.
In an announcement on social media on Wednesday, the club stated that the pair were asked to leave “not only for the overall calm at Retro but mainly for the protection and personal safety of the couple in question”.
They further insisted that the club is a hospitality and entertainment venue open to all.