Albuquerque, NM -
A Portland, Oregon gay couple traveling in Albuquerque were told to sit in the back of the bus because they were holding hands.
Ron McCoy and Chris Bowers were in New Mexico last month for a road trip through the Southwest.
When an airport shuttle driver witnessed the pair holding hands, he told them to move to the back of the bus, KRQE reported.
"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 said.
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.
A spokesman for Sunport, the shuttle company, said that it immediately contacted Standard Parking, the private company contracted to operate the shuttles.
"First and foremost, it's absolutely unacceptable," Sunport's Dan Jiron said. "We immediately got in touch with Standard Parking to assess what exactly happened. They acknowledged this was a mistake on the part of the driver."
However, McCoy said that neither he nor Bowers have received an apology over the incident. They have filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Editor's Note: According to KRQE, the driver in question is still working for Standard Parking.
Ron McCoy and Chris Bowers were in New Mexico last month for a road trip through the Southwest.
When an airport shuttle driver witnessed the pair holding hands, he told them to move to the back of the bus, KRQE reported.
"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 said.
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.
A spokesman for Sunport, the shuttle company, said that it immediately contacted Standard Parking, the private company contracted to operate the shuttles.
"First and foremost, it's absolutely unacceptable," Sunport's Dan Jiron said. "We immediately got in touch with Standard Parking to assess what exactly happened. They acknowledged this was a mistake on the part of the driver."
However, McCoy said that neither he nor Bowers have received an apology over the incident. They have filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Editor's Note: According to KRQE, the driver in question is still working for Standard Parking.
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine
