A Bay Area restaurant is apologizing after they held a private event for the San Francisco Republican Party that an undercover reporter called an “anti-trans dinner.”
The American Bites in San Francisco’s North Beach is the place where a San Francisco Chronicle opinion reporter infiltrated an event last week put on by the local GOP group.
Chronicle reporter Soleil Ho called it a “secretive anti-trans dinner,” while listing many instances of transphobic content they endured.
The restaurant has been fielding mostly angry callers since the article published Thursday and posted an apology shortly after.
“We made a mistake and I sincerely apologize,” said American Bites partner Mike Saremy.
Saremy said a regular at their other restaurant approached them and wanted to host a Republican fundraiser that would include a short documentary.
He said when the group of about 100 arrived with parents and children and didn’t know it would spiral into what it did.
“As the night went on, they had some speakers and I think they had some fringe point of views,” Saremy said. “I wish we had known this was the subject. We would have never agreed to have that event at our place.”
“KING LOTUS BOY” identifies as trans, nonbinary, and polyam. They said that there’s no question what holding an event put on by Republicans would mean.
“Any fundraising efforts that is going towards the GOP is fundraising hatred and is fundraising violence towards queer and trans people, full stop,” KING LOTUS BOY said. “Considering that the majority of almost probably all of the bills that have been anti-trans, targeting trans youth and drag artists have been Republican-led.”
Right now, Yelp has temporarily blocked reviews for American Bites as it monitors the fallout. But the path forward is clear for the owners.
“We’re gonna change our policies for us booking events. We’re going to be more diligent, just knowing who we work with,” Saremy said.
NBC Bay Area reached out to the local San Francisco GOP chapter Friday, but did not hear back.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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