The shuttle bus company whose driver told a gay couple to sit in
the back of the bus because they were holding hands has apologized to
the couple.
Ron McCoy and Chris Bowers of Portland, Oregon were in New Mexico
last month for a road trip through the Southwest. They were told to
move to the back of the bus when they boarded an airport shuttle bus
holding hands.
“I saw him look at us, look down at his hands and he looked so
angry. He just blurted out at me, he goes, 'OK if you're going to do
that, you're going to the back of the bus,'” McCoy
told KRQE.
The couple complied with the order but approached the driver once
the shuttle stopped.
“I said 'I think it was because you didn't like the fact that I
was holding my partner's hand.' He goes, 'See, now you're telling on
yourself.' My partner responds, 'Well that's discrimination.' And
the driver responds, 'You're telling on yourself again,'” McCoy
said.
Standard Parking, the private company contracted to operate the
shuttles, this week issued an apology.
“We sincerely apologize to Mr. Bowers and Mr. McCoy for any
disrespectful treatment they received in New Mexico,” the company
said in a written statement. “Standard Parking respects the equal
rights of all customers, and we do not condone or tolerate
discrimination of any kind against any of our customers or employees,
whether relating to sexual orientation, gender, age, race,
nationality or religion.”
Commenting on the apology, McCoy
told KATU: “In some ways it makes me feel like what they really
regret is the attention they're getting.”