02/18/2008
California Gym Boots Gay Man Over T-Shirt
David Cano wore a t-shirt to his gym, California Family Fitness, that said "I need a man or a date, serious inquiries only," and the gym canceled his membership, saying several guests had come forward complaining about his choice of clothing.
Apparently the t-shirt wasn't "family" enough for them.
Said Cano: "I just thought something up, and said maybe I would wear it. It was kind of like a gag thing. They're responsible for kicking me out because of my shirt and discrimination. It's basically because I'm open [about my sexual orientation]."
Posted 5:08 PM EST by Andy Towle in California, Discrimination, Fashion Men, News | Permalink
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They're a private entity, so they can impose a dress code.
However, if they apply that dress code in a blantently anti-gay manner, that might create some legal problems for them under the Unruh Act. Businesses must not engage in "arbitrary and intentional discrimination on the bases of personal characteristics."
Posted by: John | Feb 19, 2008 12:29:48 AM
Laughable bullshit - Chris, you are suffering from a
severe case of not fucking getting it. As are all of you "how dare you blame the vixtrm for challenging the predominant heterosexist paradigm!" hysterics. I read these comments in awe - how on earth does
some dimwit attention whore in a stupid-ass t-shirt have to do with asserting our right to be open about our sexuality? Listen, had this dude been wearing a t-shirt that said "California Gay Rodeo" and
gotten grief, I'd have been right behind him wearing he same
shirt or if he had his membership revoked because he was chatting up dude's, your many arguments of being a bold queer in a straight-made world would certainly resonate. But COME ON! A Tshirt saying you're looking for a man WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER ON IT? For the record, James B -I'm an out and proud gay man, believe it. No internalized issues here - I just learn to fight the battles that count.
Posted by: Joey | Feb 19, 2008 12:39:21 AM
My gym is pretty damn liberal and no one wears shirts like that. There is a singles scene, gay and straight, but its not a meat market. And I think if you wore something like that there, someone might say something, regardless of orientation. But they wouldn't revoke your membership. In a family gym, that doesn't surprise me. Kind of a bad choice, Meathead, but thats just my opinion. I would never do something like that, but I would be pissed if I just got the boot. If you were talked to, I hope you took it off. But there's a bigot majority out there, tread lightly or pay the price with those kind of assholes!
Posted by: ZWbush | Feb 19, 2008 12:51:22 AM
He's too old to be wearing a t-shirt with writing on it - stick to solids.
Posted by: joseph Schmitt | Feb 19, 2008 1:00:21 AM
So it's okay to let everyone know that you're gay and even to hit on guys at the gym is okay, but it's the tackiness that's the problem with the t-shirt.
Okay, got it. No tacky t-shirts if you're gay. The new rule. Thanks for clearing that up.
What's interesting in this little commentary board debate - some people seem to think the guy was serious, like he seriously thought this was a way to get a date.
Posted by: Chris | Feb 19, 2008 1:15:15 AM
Well, I hate even corporate advertisements on shirts like Nike labels.
So confused.
On the one hand my sense of equality is stirred to cry out for justie on his behalf.
On the other hand, hell.......I want to paint over labels , sayings, pic, corporate brands, etc on anyone and everyone's clothing.
When did humans become walking bill boards?
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Feb 19, 2008 1:54:40 AM
How can you be sure this guy did NOT wear that shirt on purpose to see if he would
be expelled and SUE?
I mean, we all know WHEN and WHERE it is
sort of 'safe' or 'ok' to wear clothing...
We are not in the 70's, and now it is
sometimes unnecesary to show 'rebellion'
anymore. Not in California, anyway.
I suspect David Cano wanted money, and
he is going to get it.
Posted by: Anna | Feb 19, 2008 3:22:18 AM
fuck all of you who think the t-shirt was tasteless. THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!!!!!! if a straight man had worn a shirt that said, "i want a woman or a date", would he have been expelled? i doubt it. it is not for us to second guess mr. cano's motives. and, shame on all you queers for doing so.
Posted by: nic | Feb 19, 2008 4:19:55 AM
fuck all of you who think the t-shirt was tasteless. THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!!!!!! if a straight man had worn a shirt that said, "i want a woman or a date", would he have been expelled? i doubt it. it is not for us to second guess mr. cano's motives. and, shame on all you queers for doing so.
Posted by: nic | Feb 19, 2008 4:25:56 AM
Americans are so prudish.
Posted by: luke | Feb 19, 2008 5:35:47 AM
A lot of you guys seem to be missing a simple little scrap of paper residing in Washington DC called the constitution. It guarantees freedom of speech....which this where the said shirt would fall under. Plain and simple. You cannot pick and choose which phrases you will and will not allow in your establishment. If you tried playing the "obscenity card", like people might do if the guy was wearing a shirt with the 'F' word on it, this shirt could not be classied as 'obscene' in any sense of the word.
Private club that can enforce it's own dress code? PERHAPS you could get away with it IF it was clearly spelled out in your contract. You cannot make the rules up when you see one that you don't like or agree with.
My guess is this guy will get a nice chunk of "out of court" settlement that will enable him to buy his own dates.
Posted by: Lubridan | Feb 19, 2008 7:13:05 AM
What fvcking planet are some of you fags from (ahem, Joe, Jimmy, and Alan B)? The gym is no place to pick up guys? Yeah, if you are in Topeka. You sound like a bunch of self-hating fags who need to STFU!!
Posted by: Shane | Feb 19, 2008 7:29:15 AM
The tacky thing to me is the fact any thinking person would join a gym named 'California Family Fitness'. That crap has fueled the homophobic GOP right wing for years, no need to feed them your money as well. Real Family Values' is loving yourself, your brother and sisters, and caring more about the world than the $.
Posted by: patrick nyc | Feb 19, 2008 7:41:28 AM
I feel this is just an extension of the social "code" which says I ought not to discuss, make reference to, or otherwise acknowledge my "orientation" if it's outside the "accepted norm". In other words, I should refrain from having conversations on the train about gayness (or any other subject people might be upset by). Does this mean that I can't wear a T-shirt protesting the war in Iraq at my gym? Don't laugh--people have been ejected from shopping malls for antiwar clothing--and I think this guy has a case. Whether his shirt was in poor taste or not, the gym's management went way overboard here.
I have yet (i'm in NYC, admittedly) to go to my gym and NOT see guys trying to pick up other guys. Trust me, this goes on all the time. So this guy, if guilty of anything, is guilty of choosing too conservative a gym in which to advertise himself, that's all. It's a T-shirt--come on now! They could have given or sold (!) him a different shirt if they didn't like theone he was wearing.
People are occasionally getting kicked off planes for their clothing these days, too. I think we've lost our f***king minds!
Posted by: Nathan James | Feb 19, 2008 8:26:28 AM
Shane baby, thanks for adding absolutely nothing to this conversation. Whether he was serious or not is moot. Whether he was straight and had on a tshirt that said I'm so lonely, here's my digits - let the harrassment begin is moot. Whether the gym is or isn't a place to pick up people is moot. I think his actions only reinforced their bigotries and uncomfortableness with homosexuality and, in their minds, actually reinforced the thought process of why any expression of homosexuality is the right "family" thing to do. There are lots of ways to fight this battle, fellas. There are lots of fights to get behind and support. This is not one of them, IMHO. Also: accusing someone you disagree with as being a "self-hating fag who needs to STFU" is not an argument. Truth.
Posted by: Joey | Feb 19, 2008 9:58:48 AM
I have a T-shirt that was distributed as a promotion for the "Stepford Wives" remake a few years ago. It reads "It's easy to turn me on" across the front. I like the way it fits, so I've often worn it to both mixed and primarily-gay gyms. It never occurred to me until reading these comments that I might be offending some people.
Posted by: PeterH | Feb 19, 2008 10:37:20 AM
PETERH,
one of my favorite tees reads, "i can't even think straight." were i to be thrown out of an establishment for that, in JOEY's little brain, i should go away and find a bigger battle.
btw, why would anyone take seriously anything that a grown man who calls himself Joey says?
Posted by: nic | Feb 19, 2008 11:21:22 AM
Yes Shane - Joey is a little boys name. When you can't think of a good counter-argument, then insult people like a petulanet child. Always works. A t-shirt that says "I Can't Even Think Straight" is different than one saying you need a man with your phone number on it. God, I hope you can see that. And BTW, if you wore it to a predominantly family gym it would make you look just a douchified as Mr. Cano. I'm not saying the dude deserved being kicked out, I'm merely saying if you want to assert you bold gay self in a predominantly straight environment - fucking go for it. But have a wee bit of self-respect. That would go a long way in gathering support - gay and straight - behind your cause. AND I"M DONE.
Posted by: Joey | Feb 19, 2008 11:46:56 AM
Shane???? Shane who? You really are muddle-headed, joey.
Posted by: nic | Feb 19, 2008 11:59:54 AM
Yes, Nic. I am muddle-headed. And that breeze you just felt? That's the entire point of my post literally flying over your head.
Posted by: Joey | Feb 19, 2008 12:06:45 PM
How did people at the gym know it was his real phone number?
My first thought would be it was a promotion for, I dunno, a moving company or something. Or maybe it was a shirt FOR a women's social group that printed some extras for the boys.
Maybe it was more obvious in the tv report. Okay, nope.
So until someone asked him and he confirmed, it was just a number on a shirt. Maybe it was his girlfriend's shirt and he grabbed it by mistake -- or on purpose.
I don't get the whole "blame the victim" thing going on here.
The guy wore a funny shirt. Kids old enough to work out wouldn't care. Good for him for trying to have some fun at no one's expense.
My bigger worry was that now all sorts of gym-going weirdoes have my phone number.
Posted by: tjc | Feb 19, 2008 12:18:46 PM
A gym is a private business. Therefore, as long as it does not run afoul of anti-discrimination laws, it can impose a strict dress code on its membership. It can tell its members it cannot wear tank tops, short shorts, or even the color blue if it wants. As long as it does not discriminate on one of the protected bases. The Constitution does not apply to private businesses.
Posted by: Javier | Feb 19, 2008 12:39:49 PM
ooh. ouch. you're too clever for me, joey. while you were typing that "zinger" did you make a whooshing sound while passing your hand above your head? how original.
Posted by: nic | Feb 19, 2008 1:06:46 PM
OMG, I did!
Posted by: Joey | Feb 19, 2008 3:01:14 PM
It's time for us to stand up to corporate endorsed bigotry against any of our GLBT brothers and sisters. Even in Elk Grove!
I agree the gym has a right to enforce any policy they so wish. That said, we also have the right and obligation to ensure that California Family Fitness is exposed as an organization that is engaged in creating and enforcing anti-gay policies. The financial damage to California Family Fitness that a boycott by the Gay Community would be the most powerful statement that it is simply NOT acceptable for any business to treat members of the Gay Community with hatred and/or intolerance.
Posted by: Chad | Feb 19, 2008 5:07:38 PM