Update on D.C. Restaurant Matter

The article recently posted on the Bilerico Project blog regarding the administrative complaint we filed on behalf of Amira Gray with the Washington, D.C., Office of Human Rights (OHR) with respect to Ms. Gray’s experience at Bistro 18 makes a number of assertions that will no doubt be investigated by OHR. The statements of the restaurant’s manager, recounted in the blog as if they were accurate, however, are in sharp contrast to what our client and her friends experienced.

Lambda Legal doesn't make decisions lightly about how to proceed, and gathered confirmation of the allegations in the OHR complaint before it was filed. Not only do we have the receipt clearly showing the antigay slur, but multiple members of a large group of friends who were with Amira at Bistro 18 have corroborated what actually happened that night. 

Furthermore, Lambda Legal's Facebook post showing an image of the receipt only asked our followers to like and share the image to tell the restaurant that discrimination is against the law. We have not asked people to write poor reviews of Bistro 18 on any site nor called for a boycott.

Given that the Bilerico Project blog quotes the restaurant’s manager as having “confirmed the basic facts in the complaint” and given the other information that undercuts the credibility of the restaurant manager’s portrayal of the events of that night, we are confident that the OHR proceedings will lead to a fair outcome in this matter.