JR’s Bar & Grill has fired an employee who denied service to a transgender woman this week, and video shows a security officer at the bar shoving the woman. The woman believes she was kicked out because her ID doesn’t match her gender. The bar also asked its security company to not use the officer at JR’s again.
Daniel Heredia posted two videos of the encounter Tuesday night at the bar on Cedar Springs Road in Oak Lawn, an LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood. One of the videos shows a security officer outside the bar apparently shoving Blair Jirousek.
Heredia wrote on Facebook that he, Jirousek and another friend went to the bar and were denied service after the bartender checked Jirousek’s ID.
Jirousek has not been able to legally change her gender on ID, Heredia wrote in the post.
Heredia said that the bartender also refused to serve him and another friend because they were with Jirousek.
“Transphobia is not okay,” Heredia wrote. “This is pride month and we should be accepting of all genders and sexual preferences, uplifting our community not tearing it down.”Daniel Heredia
JR’s Bar said in a written statement that the bar fired the employee involved in the incident after “reviewing the situation and gathering statements from the parties involved.” This is not the first time incidents such as this have occurred at JR’s as you can see here.
“We are against discrimination of any kind and work diligently with all employees to ensure that our bar is a welcoming space for everyone to celebrate,” the bar said in the statement. “We respect and value people from all communities and will continue to advocate for diversity and inclusivity.”
Heredia said that the bartender later prevented another employee from serving his friend at the bar.
“I’m not going to serve you because you’re friends with her,” Heredia said the bartender told the group.
That was when the employee asked the security officer to escort Heredia, Jirousek and the group out.
Jirousek showed the security officer her ID to prove that it was real, but the security officer said, “The manager said you had to leave,” Heredia wrote on Facebook.
Video captured the group outside the bar, where the security officer shoves Jirousek.
She says her ID is real.
“I’m allowed to be here,” Jirousek says.
She then repeatedly asks why she has to leave.
“I worked too [expletive] hard to walk away,” she says.
JR’s full statement:
Early this morning, we were notified of an incident that occurred at JR’s Bar & Grill last night involving a staff member and several of our patrons. While our employees take every measure to ensure the safety of both staff and patrons, any actions that are deemed contra [sic] to our beliefs and values as a company will not be tolerated. After reviewing the situation and gathering statements from the parties involved, the company has chosen to terminate the employee in question effective immediately. We are against discrimination of any kind, and work diligently with all employees to ensure that our bar is a welcoming space for everyone to celebrate. We respect and value people from all communities and will continue to advocate for diversity and inclusivity.
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