Sainsbury's security guard asks men to leave shop for holding hands

Supermarket says sorry but gay couple urge better training for staff after their treatment at branch in Hackney, east London

Sainsbury’s has apologised to two men who say they were asked to follow a security guard out of a shop after another customer complained about them holding hands and putting their arms around each other.

Thomas Rees said he and his partner, Joshua Bradwell, had been left stunned after the security guard led them out of a Sainsbury’s branch in Hackney, east London, and told them a woman had complained about their behaviour in the aisles.

After he tweeted his anger at the supermarket chain, he was offered an apology and a £10 voucher. But he has said he now feels uncomfortable at the prospect of returning to the shop and running into the security guard again or discovering other customers with intolerant views.

“We weren’t celebrating good news, we weren’t all over each other, we weren’t in the throes of passion – it was essentially just holding my boyfriend’s hand as I do every day,” he told BBC News.

Rees said he and Bradwell had just paid for their items on Monday evening when the security guard approached them and asked them to follow him outside. He said he was left “stunned and shaking” by what the guard told them.

The 32-year-old told Buzzfeed News: “I just don’t understand why he needed to take us outside and why he needed to tell us. There was no sense of humility.

“I refuse to believe this would have happened to a heterosexual couple – we just stared in disbelief. The issue here is it felt like like 1960s Britain.”

After the incident, and despite doubts over whether to speak out about it, Rees decided to vent his anger on Twitter, writing: “To the bigot who complained about my bf & I holdin hands & the security guard at @sainsburys who felt the need to ‘talk’ to us outside [middle finger emoji].”

Rees’s subsequent comments suggest he does not necessarily blame the security guard for the situation. He told the BBC: “I do feel for the security guard because he was clearly unable or poorly equipped to handle these situations.”

Rees is calling for Sainsbury’s to make sure that staff are properly trained to handle similar situations in the future. It is not the first time that the retail giant has faced criticism over allegations of homophobia. Activists staged a “kiss-in” protest at a Brighton branch in 2014 after two women were threatened with ejection after sharing a kiss.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said an investigation into the incident was continuing, adding: “We sincerely apologise to Thomas and Josh. We are an inclusive retailer and employer and do not tolerate discrimination in our stores. We will take appropriate action once we’ve concluded our investigation with our security contractor.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/10/sainsburys-security-guard-men-holding-hands-leave-shop-london



Seriously?????? In this day and age!

It's ridiculous.
I wonder if the security guard acted on his own initiative to be the moral police, or if he was told to by management?

Syl wrote:It's ridiculous.
I wonder if the security guard acted on his own initiative to be the moral police, or if he was told to by management?

Was he a UKIP member?
Insane decision.

Handy, what the fuck has it to do with UKIP, it's a wonder you didn't accuse him of being a Flap member.

Handy Andy wrote:

Syl wrote:It's ridiculous.
I wonder if the security guard acted on his own initiative to be the moral police, or if he was told to by management?

Was he a UKIP member?
Insane decision.

You're like a broken record.
He may have been a labour supporter simply scared of losing his job.
Or a broken record; he does the same thing everyday.

Why are people holding hands and putting their arms around each other in a supermarket? Have they no decorum?

Raggamuffin wrote:Why are people holding hands and putting their arms around each other in a supermarket? Have they no decorum?

Arms are fine...legs are going too far.

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Why are people holding hands and putting their arms around each other in a supermarket? Have they no decorum?

Arms are fine...legs are going too far.

There's no need for any of that nonsense. Supermarkets are for shopping, not for anything else.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Syl wrote:

Arms are fine...legs are going too far.

There's no need for any of that nonsense. Supermarkets are for shopping, not for anything else.

Blimey...who's rattled your cage today?

Handy Andy wrote:

Syl wrote:It's ridiculous.
I wonder if the security guard acted on his own initiative to be the moral police, or if he was told to by management?

Was he a UKIP member?
Insane decision.

Oh fuck off, you cliche! I know plenty of people who voted UKIP, and not for 'racist' reasons.

nicko wrote:Handy, what the fuck has it to do with UKIP,  it's a wonder you didn't accuse him of being a Flap member.

Is he admin for that forum, or what? He always seems to slide it in somewhere.

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Syl wrote:

Arms are fine...legs are going too far.

There's no need for any of that nonsense. Supermarkets are for shopping, not for anything else.

Blimey...who's rattled your cage today?

She's fine. She's on form as the rags I know and love.

And rags? I've French-kissed a man in the middle of Marks and Spencer's. What do you make of that?

Raggamuffin wrote:

Syl wrote:

Arms are fine...legs are going too far.

There's no need for any of that nonsense. Supermarkets are for shopping, not for anything else.

I hate holding hands in public. I'm not adverse to a cuddle though.

eddie wrote:

Syl wrote:

Blimey...who's rattled your cage today?

She's fine. She's on form as the rags I know and love.

And rags? I've French-kissed a man in the middle of Marks and Spencer's. What do you make of that?

You probably put everyone off their Holland's pies.

(Damn, M & S don't sell Hollands pies.)

You probably put them off their Spatchcock chicken.

HoratioTarr wrote:

eddie wrote:

Syl wrote:

Blimey...who's rattled your cage today?

She's fine. She's on form as the rags I know and love.

And rags? I've French-kissed a man in the middle of Marks and Spencer's. What do you make of that?

You probably put everyone off their Holland's pies.

The quiches went a bit flat