Staff Reporter
A GROUP of young party-goers have filed a complaint against a Costa del Sol nightclub alleging they were barred entry for being gay.
It was also reported that other revellers in the queue backed up the doormen after they turned abusive and threatening against the group of young men.
The events unfolded outside a Fuengirola nightclub on Saturday September 2, when a group of 21-year-old friends decided to hit a nightclub in Fuengirola while on vacation.
As the 12 friends approached the venue, they separated into boys and girls for entry into the club. The female group entered without issue.
However, the group of four young men – one sporting a mesh tank top – received a rude reception from the nightclub’s bouncers.
Two of the male friends were denied entry on grounds of allegedly not meeting the club’s dress code – another was carrying a bag.
The group of girls who had already gone in were similarly attired and did not receive any objections.
One of the group, Raul Martinez, started to get suspicious that the dress code complaint was motivated by homophobia, and so the group demanded to see the dress code.
The bouncers did not take kindly to this development and began to hurl insults and even made threats, allegedly.
Meanwhile, the confrontation was taking place in front of a queue of onlookers waiting to enter the club.
Martinez and his friends had hoped that bystanders would come to their aid, but instead, a group of girls stood up for the bouncers and told the group to leave.
After much back-and-forth, the nightclub’s management finally provided them with complaint forms. Initially, only one form was handed over, but the group did not stand for it and finally they were given the necessary paperwork.
The local police arrived at the scene as it escalated. Officers engaged with the bouncers and the club’s owner, ultimately filing an official complaint.
The owner, in an attempt to downplay the situation, expressed confusion about the allegations of discrimination, citing the presence of LGBTQ+ employees at the establishment.
Incidents of discrimination and hate crimes have been on the rise in Malaga province of late, according to Valentín González, coordinator of the anti-discrimination movement in Málaga.
Official data from the Ministry of Interior recorded 31 such cases alone in the province.
González encouraged anyone who has faced discrimination or hate crimes to reach out to their association for assistance, support, and free legal guidance.
He emphasised the importance of filing comprehensive reports to ensure that they receive legal support and receive appropriate collaboration with law enforcement and the prosecution.
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