From: cutecop@aol.com (CuteCop)
Subject: Discrimination at IHOP Austin, Texas
Date: 28 Feb 1995 08:14:08 -0500

Along the same lines, I witnessed some blatant DISCRIMINATION in an
International House of Pancakes Resturant here in Austin, Texas -  IHOP. 
Do you have those in your locations?

I am a police officer here in Austin, and was working midnights about 2
weeks ago. There are not very many places to go for a meal break that are
open 24 hours here, so IHOP was my choice for that evening.  Little did I
know what I was going to witness.  I have gone to their resturants in and
out of uniform for years and never ever had a problem or witnessed a major
problem.

I was appauled at what I witnessed by the night manager of IHOP. By the
way, her name is Glenda Basing, and she is the night manager of the IHOP
on !35 @ 1st Street, here in Austin, Texas.

There was a man who was obviously hetrosexual that was had been drinking
and talking loudly with 2 young men at a table next to his. I sat near
them (in uniform). The man who had been drinking was questioning one of
the young men about his sexual preference, and then made some rather lude
remarks about why he did not perfer women sexually.  The man that he was
speaking rather loudly to, indicated that he was gay and made some fruther
comment that he was born that way, and then continued to talk with his
friend.  The man who had been drinking continued to speak rather loudly to
the two younger men.  It hadn't reached the point that I was going to
intervene as a police officer with the possible drunk.  The man, if in
fact he was drunk, was maintaining his position in that "gray area" of
disorderly conduct in a public place. Remember, Austin is the only city in
Texas with a city ordinance against the discrimination of gay and lesbian
people (in the work place and in housing.)  ( I always considered it to be
very progressive.  I and a lesbian police officer friend of mine teach Gay
Sensitivity in several local police academies.  We are members of GOAL and
the Natl Assoc. of G/L Police Officers.)

Just at that point, the night manager (Glenda Basing) came over and
announced rather loudly to the gay man that ===he could not talk about his
homosexuality in public, that she found it offensive.=====  My blood began
to boil. She made this statement several times, and indicated that === he
could not discuss homosexuality to anyone else in the resturant including
the young hetrosexual that he was with. =====

The man who had been drinking came over to the table and told the manager
that he had been pestering the two and that they had been very courtesy to
him, and that if anyone was at fault it was him, and he left the
resturant. I agreed and witnessed this to the night manager.  The manager
however, made the gay man's sexuality an issue.  He had bought his meal,
had finished it and was drinking coffe. I have always been an openly gay
police officer here in Austin and have been a police officer for 12 years
now.  This manger continued to taunt these two men, and when they asked
for her supervisors name, she refused the full name but only gave them a
first name.  (later investigation revealed that the store manger was her
brother, and probably one of the reasons she became so defensive. - His
name is Mickey - )

Basing had the gay man removed from the resturant (for no reason) other
than he talked in public about his sexuality.  He was not loud. He was not
lude, He was not offense, He was not violating any Texas law.   You must
understand, that in Texas, a store owner can have anyone removed at their
will without any cause. The victim, can file on the offender after the
fact. She insisted that the gay man be removed from the resturant.    I
refused to do this and she went and got another officer from another
agency with the same jurisdiction to do it.  I left the resturant without
eating; gave my police department business cards to the gay man, contacted
the home office of IHOP and then contacted the Texas Human Rights
Foundation here in Austin, who is better equipped to give advice on such
cases.

I still cannot fully believe what I witnessed.

I found out that the General Manager for IHOP was a Mr. Mark Shirvan
(512/443-7718).  He has left several messages for me at the police
department and I have re-contacted his several times to no avail.  He
seems to always been convienently busy when I call.

I refuse to return to IHOP until the management makes an official apoligy
to the Gay and Lesiban Community.  I let as many Gay Officers I know aware
of the situation as well as the Hetrosexual community.  If this man had
been black and been treated this way, we would have had another "Denny's"
Resturant situation on your hands.

If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it.  She
assumed that I was hetrosexual since I was a police officer, and would
take her side.

If you have any contacts with management folks at these resturants, please
let them know how you feel.

Thanks -  Rob Havican - Austin, Texas

Fr. Robert H. Havican, O.S.F. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
           P.O.Box 16181, Austin, TX 78761-6181              
         [Reformed Catholic Priest/Texas Police Officer]   
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