Gay couple say they were kicked out of The Neighbourhood bar for kissing

The bar strongly denies the claims


A Warwick student and his boyfriend say they were asked to leave The Neighbourhood, a bar in Leamington Spa, for kissing, on Saturday night.

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, were enjoying some drinks at the popular spot and decided to go and dance on the venue’s dance floor, where they kissed and were allegedly told by security that they weren’t allowed to do so. After the couple complained, they say they were removed from the venue.

One of the students took to social media to express his anger, saying: “When I called out their homophobia and asked for the names of the bouncers who told us we ‘can’t do that here’ (referring to our kiss – when other straight people were kissing), I was pushed out of the door onto the street. Gaslit.

“I was told to calm down and that I was being aggressive? Because I was upset and angry?”

He continued: “I’m still upset and distraught from this experience of discrimination. I will be filing official complaints and boycotting these establishments.”

The Neighbourhood Leamington, from their Instagram

The couple revisited the venue the next day, and say they spoke with a supervisor who reassured them that the incident was being taken seriously and that the security guard who kicked them out had been told he was no longer allowed to work there any more. They say they are currently waiting to hear from higher management.

This is not the first time the couple have experienced homophobia in the area. They explained: “We have experienced homophobia in multiple establishments in Leamington as well as on the streets. A transgender friend of ours was pushed by an attendee in Kelsey’s a few weeks ago and we’re used to having homophobic slurs yelled at us.”

They also said they are frequently told they are overreacting when angered by homophobic abuse, describing it as as “exhausting”.

The company who own The Neighbourhood also own Moo, Smack and Neon, three popular student bars and clubs in Leamington.

The Tab reached out to The Neighbourhood who denied the incident taking place.

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