New Delhi: A restaurant chain owned by Virat Kohli, found itself at the centre of a controversy after an advocacy group accused the chain of discriminating against the LGBTQIA+ community.
The group – ‘Yes, We Exist’ – said in a series of posts on Instagram that One8 Commune has branches in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata. The Zomato listings for the restaurant say “stags are not allowed”, the post went further to say.
“We DM’ed [direct messaged] them 2 weeks ago, got no response. We called the Pune branch, they confirmed that entry is not allowed only for cisgender heterosexual couples or groups of cisgender woman; gay couples or a group of gay men are not allowed; trans women allowed subject to their clothing,” read the Instagram post by ‘Yes, We Exist’.
The LGBTQIA+ activism group also stated that the Delhi branch of One8 Commune did not respond to its queries and the Kolkata branch said “stags are not allowed” despite its Zomato booking page suggesting otherwise.
“Discrimination against LGBTQIA+ guests is common at such fancy restaurants, bars and clubs in India, and Virat Kohli is no exception,” the post adds.
In addition, the group also said it has emailed Zomato asking if they have “attempted to sensitise” Virat Kohli. The allegations invited widespread criticism on social media with users requesting Virat Kohli and Zomato to take note of the matter.
“Captain @imVkohli has a chain of Restaurants and guess what the LGBTQIA+ people are not welcomed. Queerphobic,” wrote one Twitter user.
Another added, “Being a homosexual individual hearing this kind of news is so normal that it’s saddening. People say LGBT rights are not do and die situation but don’t you see day by day discrimination for basic needs. I hope @imVkohli @AnushkaSharma @zomato can do something about this.”
“Restaurants banning #LGBTQIA guests is not new in India! Guests are primarily discriminated against based on their attire, if it is visibly gender-bending! But @imVkohli joining that lot of #homophobic resturant owners is a shock! Hope there is some misunderstanding,” wrote another.
No discriminatory entry rules against any particular community: One8 Commune
Responding to the claims made by ‘Yes, We Exist’, One8 Commune issued a statement on Monday saying that the restaurant chain believes in “welcoming all people irrespective of their gender and/or preferences”.
“As our name denotes, we have always been inclusive in serving all communities since our inception,” the statement goes on to say.
It adds, “Similar to industry wide practice and in conformity with government rules, we obviously have a prohibition of stag entry policy (subject to relaxation) in place so as to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for our guests.”
“This does not in any way mean that our company policy provides any discriminatory entry rules for/against any particular community,” One8 Commune said.
The statement went further to state that anyone can approach the chain if there has been any “inadvertent miscommunication or misplaced impression” about its policies.