Why Was Out Pro Basketball Vet Denied Entrance to UK Gay Bar?
Openly gay retired basketball star John Amaechi alleges that racism played a part in his being bounced from a gay club in Manchester, England, the BBC reported on Sept. 13. Amaechi, who is nearly seven feet tall, had gone to a gay establishment called Crunch with a group of friends on Sept. 8, the article said, but was denied entrance into the club. According to Amaechi, the man at the door referred to him as “big, black, and could be trouble.” Crunch manager Matt Taylor stated that Amaechi’s claim was “outrageous and unfounded,” and said that Amaechi was refused due to safety concerns. Taylor claimed that another establishment had put word out that a group of patrons had been “argumentative and aggressive,” and that the Crunch doorman thought Amaechi’s group might have been the same one that had caused trouble elsewhere. “Whilst I understand it is upsetting to be turned away from a venue when on a night out, to justify a refusal of entry by provoking a racist debate is completely unca
