An Uber driver kicked a gay couple out of his car on to a busy freeway because one of them kissed the other on the forehead, according to a Facebook post by Ryan Ottey, who said that he and his boyfriend Aaron Brown had just spent the weekend celebrating at Sydney Australia’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Wrote Ryan Ottey on Facebook: “Despite it being the weekend of celebrating all things LGBT, some are not so accepting and open. We just got kicked out of an Uber for being gay. Aaron put his head on my shoulder and I gave him a kiss on the forehead when the driver told us to ‘get out!’ When we asked, ‘what, why?’ – he replied. ‘Not in my car. I can’t take you. Get out. Get out!’ And pulled over and dropped us at the side of the ED. Absolutely disgusting and disgraceful behavior. It just goes to show that no matter how far you think we have come or what progress has been made – there are still those that do not accept us, wish us ill harm and reject who we are. Uber – this is totally disappointing that one of your drivers can treat your customers like this. It’s humiliating, degrading and totally disrespectful. Everyone else. We hope you had an amazing Mardi Gras. Spread love everyone. 🏳️🌈✌🏼”
Said Brown to 9News: “We reached South Dowling Street and I was resting my head on Ryan’s shoulder. He kissed me on the forehead and the driver immediately turned around and said ‘Not in my car, I’m not driving you anymore, get out of my car’. We were just dumbfounded and thought it was a joke so we questioned him and asked why. He just repeated himself and said ‘I can’t drive you anymore, this is my car and I’m not driving that’ – talking about us.”
ALSO: Uber Driver Kicks Gay Couple Out on Side of Freeway After They Kiss
Brown said Uber gave him a “generic” response and offered to refund his trip, but did not make specific promises about what would happen to the driver, but said the ride service would “be looking into this trip and taking the appropriate steps to ensure this experience doesn’t continue.”
