DTLA bar upgrading security after video shows trans women, gay man being ejected
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A bar is downtown Los Angeles is making some changes in response to cellphone video that showed several transgender woman being forcibly removed by security guards following an altercation.
The move comes after a group of co-workers, including two transgender women and a gay man, say they became victims of a hate crime at the bar.
Video taken inside the bar shows the three co-workers being forcibly taken outside by security guards. They say the altercation began when one of the woman in the group was verbally attacked with transphobic slurs by other patrons.
In a written statement, bar managers said both groups were asked to leave and the guards had to remove those who refused to go, in accordance with company policy. Jennifer Bianchi and Khloe Rios said they used excessive force to remove them from the premises, but that the same excessive force was not used to remove the people that allegedly used the transphobic slurs.
VIDEO: 2 trans women, gay man ejected from DTLA bar after alleged altercation with other group
Now the bar's management group, Baltz and Company, says they are hiring a new security company that has received sensitivity training "to address each concern that we've received since then."
In a statement, the group also said the incident is being investigated to determine exactly what happened. It's unclear if any action was taken in regards to the security guards involved in the incident.
The statement reads in part: "Our first and primary concern, and has been from day one, is to operate a safe place for all people. Period, no exceptions. We regret that didn't happen Friday night, and want to apologize to all of our guests including the transgender community, a community who has come to our bar as well as works there."
Police said they filed a hate crime report and the department was also investigating the incident.
