The restaurant chain owned by India captain Virat Kohli, One8 Commune, has come under the scanner after a group of LGBTQIA+ has accused them of discrimination. The group – ‘Yes, We Exist’ – shared a series of posts on Instagram that One8 Commune has branches in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata.
Moreover, the Zomato listings for the restaurant also say “stags are not allowed” as well. They also revealed that the Delhi branch of One8 Commune did not respond to their queries and the Kolkata branch said “stags are not allowed” despite their Zomato booking page has something else in place.
“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’. “Discrimination against LGBTQIA+ guests is common at such fancy restaurants, bars and clubs in India, and Virat Kohli is no exception,” the post further added.
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And, the allegations made headlines on social media with users requesting Virat Kohli and Zomato to look after the matter as well.
“Captain @imVkohli has a chain of Resturants 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 user as well.
No discriminatory entry rules against any particular community: One8 Commune
On the other hand, while responding to the claims made by ‘Yes, We Exist’, One8 Commune has issued a statement on Monday, where they stated that the restaurant chain doesn’t discriminate gender and they believe 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 again shared.
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It further added: “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.
They concluded by saying that anyone can ask them anything if they found that there has been any “inadvertent miscommunication or misplaced impression” about its policies.
