A Chicago Transit Authority bus driver reportedly "yelled homophobic slurs [and] called the police" after a passenger complained about a kiss between a young gay couple, reports the Windy City Times.
Christopher Buchanan, 22 (right) and his boyfriend Derrell Hughes boarded a 146 southbound bus on Oct 22. "I was holding his hand and kissing and whatnot," Buchanan told Windy City Times.
As the bus approached downtown, he said, a middle-aged White woman approached the bus driver to complain about the two. The driver allegedly got up and told Buchanan and Hughes that someone had complained about them and that they needed to get off his bus.
"He was really in my face," said Buchanan. "He said 'you bitches need to get off the bus…I can't stand fags.'"
"When the couple refused to leave, Buchanan said, the driver called police. Buchanan said that police while police said they had not done anything illegal, they got off the bus after a two-hour ordeal during which a CTA supervisor was called. "Buchanan said he felt the two were targeted because they were two black men kissing in public. He noted that a straight couple was also kissing on the bus at the time of the incident.
CTA confirms that is "investigating" the incident after a complaint was filed. Attorney Jacob Meister is representing the couple, and says he is pursuing an internal "resolution" before any legal action.
This is the first publicized complaint of anti-gay behavior by a CTA employee in recent memory. In January 2010, you may recall that a gay Chicago man was the victim of an vicious anti-gay attack on the Red Line.
It seems like gay and lesbian couples are really having problems kissing on planes, trains, and buses these days...in addition to this young couple, recall that Southwest Airlines threw L-Word star Laila Hailey and her GF off a plane for kissing, and a Short Line bus driver called the NY State Troopers on Ari Gold and his BF for kissing, and recently, I saw a gay couple kisssing on the F train get told "that's wrong" by a fellow passenger. (They ignored him.) But I see straight couples getting VERY passionate with each other in subway stations, planes and buses, and nobody kicks THEM off or calls the cops--and I'm talking real tongue hockey here, not just a playful peck on the cheek! SMDH!!
Posted by: Nathan James | 03 November 2011 at 10:01
What a cute couple!
Posted by: HD | 03 November 2011 at 10:15
If not now, when?
Posted by: Greg | 03 November 2011 at 11:10
WOW. So the breeders can kiss, but not us gays. The drive should've been more respectful however that's the society we live in. Its just kissing.
Posted by: VersFreeDom | 03 November 2011 at 11:20
Either ban ALL PDA, or none. I get sick of seeing or hearing about heteros kissing in public with no one saying a word, but let anyone else, and its every slur in the book- this planet is as much ours as it is theirs.
Posted by: CC | 03 November 2011 at 13:14
Adorable couple.
Interesting comments at Queerty, Towleroad and other blogs on this incident, versus Ari Gold and Southwest Airlines.
Very interesting how so many people object to the kid describing the woman as white. If this were a white couple and a black woman complained, the woman's race would become the focal point of the discussion.
I admire this couple's courage.
Posted by: Former COGIC | 03 November 2011 at 22:11
This doesnt make any damn sense! Hetero couples can damn near have sex in public but a gay couple gets the spot light. We truly have a long way to go
Posted by: loveofloveja | 04 November 2011 at 01:26
I mean, frankly, I don't like any PDA but you really have to stop the hets as well.
Posted by: Chitown Kev | 04 November 2011 at 06:13
FORMER COGIC,
you are 110% correct.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | 04 November 2011 at 07:51
This was an two hour ordeal to have these dudes removed from a bus because they shared a kiss? WTF!
This is disturbing in 2011. Someone should be sued!
Posted by: Black Pegasus | 04 November 2011 at 09:22
I once rode this route religiously, it's ironic because it's a route which passes THROUGH the gay neighborhood of Chicago, Lakeview. This is disgusting, I hope this couples DRAINS the CTA for a nice chunk of money that they deserve. If this was every my boyfriend and I on a 146, the National Guard would need to be called in because heads would ROLL, if someone told me to not kiss my boyfriend. And you better BELIEVE that I would make the biggest publicity stunt out of it and draw awareness to these ignorant fools.
Posted by: R | 04 November 2011 at 14:52
Snatch every CTA coin and leave them 'po!
Posted by: Honut Sinti | 05 November 2011 at 09:34
Unhappy people are a threat to public safety.
Kisses for both cuties for their braveness!
Posted by: Carlosqc.blogspot.com | 07 November 2011 at 18:14