Dunkin Donuts clashes with Lebanese queer community

Dunkin Donuts and gay groups clashed over what the Lebanese queer community described as the international franchises' policy of discrimination against homosexuals in Lebanon.

Ghassan Makarem, an activist, posted an online petition on beirut.indymedia.org website, in which the gay community said that for the past two years, "Dunkin Donuts' Beirut branches have been denying service to gay and 'gay-looking' customers under the pretext of protecting their Nazi version of 'family values.'"

Under the Lebanese Law, homosexuality is banned and punishment might reach up to one year in prison.

In its Ashrafieh and downtown Beirut branches, Dunkin Donuts posted a note which read as follows: "We ask our dear clients to conform to descent appearance and to comply with our supervisor's directions on this matter."

Beirut's queer community claimed that they were repeatedly asked to leave the Dunkin Donuts' premises for no obvious reason demanding that, instead, they should be treated as other customers.

"All humans are equal, thus queer community members - who have been a regular stream among the customers of Dunkin Donuts Beirut - are entitled to the same standards and services as any other customer," Makarem wrote in his online petition.

An employee at the Dunkin Donuts who refused to give her name said that gay customers went far beyond the country's social norms. "In several instances, these customers displayed homosexual affection in that they held hands, hugged and sometimes even kissed while they were on the premises," she said.

"Personally, I'm not offended by such demeanor. But judging by the Lebanese social norms, their behavior was not acceptable among other customers who threatened to call in the police," she added.

The Dunkin Donut's employee also said that if homosexuals intend to fight with the government and the Lebanese society at large for their "freedom of coming out of the closet," then the coffeehouse should not be the ground for settling such scores.

She added that the probability that a gay would come in Dunkin Donuts and be served was high "on the condition that he would display proper demeanor." She also said that it was hard to identify homosexuals in Lebanon who mostly display manly demeanor, but "those who insist on coming out of the closet" would have to face social consequences.

But all the Dunkin Donut's justifications did not convince the queer community who insisted that they be treated without any discrimination. "(We demand) a press release from the mother company and the Lebanese local branches clarifying the issue and stating that queer members are welcomed on the premises of Dunkin Donuts worldwide (including Beirut) and will be offered the same services … just like any other customer."

Until then, the petition added, the queer community would sponsor a boycott campaign against the franchise.

Leftist activists launched a boycott campaign against American multinationals supporting or maintaining branches in Israel in March 2002 but spared the British-based Dunkin Donuts saying that there were no proofs of the company supporting Israeli interests.