Close to 200 people on Saturday held a
protest against the century-old Costa Rican restaurant which kicked
out a lesbian couple for sharing a kiss.
Last month, Paulina Torres and nine
other female friends, including her girlfriend, were tossed out of
the downtown San Jose restaurant Bar Chelles after two women in the
group kissed, the Tico
Times reported.
The protest was organized by the group
Beso Diverso (Diverse Kiss), which stages events where gay and
straight couples kiss in public in support of gay rights.
“We try to make a big event every
time a local restaurant, bar or any kind of place discriminates
against people because of their sexual orientation,” said Marisa
Victoria, a coordinator for Beso Diverso.
Demonstrators rallied outside the
restaurant, shouting, “To be different is not indecent,” and
holding signs which told Bar Chelles to “kiss customers goodbye.”
Marjorie Blanco of Bar Chelles told the
AFP that the women should not expect an apology.
“What they did is extremely
forbidden, this is a decent place,” she said. “Apologies for
nothing, if I see a pair of women kissing each other, then I'm
telling them to go elsewhere. The Lord rebukes the devil.”