Gay Texas Man Says Nightclub Discriminated Against Him for Wearing Makeup

A gay Texas man is alleging a security guard at a nightclub refused to let him inside until he removed his makeup.

Bobby Rodriguez, 21, was eager to dance at Whiskey River nightclub in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 9, but his evening out was ruined when security at the establishment allegedly told him he had to remove his makeup before entering, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports. Before heading out, Rodriguez, from Kingsville, Texas (about 40 miles away from the club), put on lipstick and fake eyelashes.

"I approached the door I handed my ID to the security at the door [and] his words were and, I quote, 'unfortunately, you cannot enter because you are wearing makeup and we have a rule here that says men need to dress like men,'" Rodriguez told the Caller-Times. "I literally had to walk back to my car and rip my false lashes off and wipe off my lipstick.

"I was so upset, I mean, who wouldn't be?" he asked.

He also spoke with BuzzFeed about the incident.

"I'm a dude. I know I'm a dude. I just like to put on makeup," Rodriguez said, explaining he always wears makeup when he goes out. "You will not catch me out and about without makeup."

He added that because his friends were already inside, he went back into his car to wipe off his makeup. When he returned to the club without the makeup he said he was allowed to enter.

Rodriguez also told BuzzFeed he's been to the club other times while wearing makeup and was allowed inside by different security guards.

"I was there for three hours and [the club] had no problem with it," he said. He added that he wouldn't be so upset about not being allowed in if he was previously told about Whiskey River's policy. He says it's the inconsistency made him feel discriminated against.

"I wear makeup to every bar and no bar has ever had a problem with me," Rodriguez told BuzzFeed. "If you didn't want a dude wearing makeup, why not address it the first time?"

The nightclub's owner Angela Blohm defended Whiskey River's policy when speaking with the Caller-Times, calling Rodriguez's allegations "just a bunch of frivolous baloney." She added the club has a "gender appropriate" dress code in place and that there's no way to prove the encounter actually happened.

"Whiskey River has a standard dress code that states everyone must dress gender appropriate to the gender stated on their state-issued driver's license," Blohm told the Caller-Times. "The conversation that was held at the door cannot be verified."

The owner didn't detail the signs regarding dress code policy. The Caller Times notes there are not any signs visible from outside the club. Additionally, BuzzFeed reported it "could not find any information about a dress code on the Whiskey River website or Facebook page."

Rodriguez took to Facebook to address the incident, calling the security guard "homophobic" and saying he's "never been so offended in my life."

Texas does not have discrimination laws that protect its LGBTQ residents. Corpus Christi also doesn't have any discrimination laws for its LGBTQ citizens.