WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Cuban-themed restaurant and bar in the District of Columbia's Chinatown are has settled allegations of blocking a transgender customer from using the restroom corresponding with her gender identity.
According to the District of Columbia Attorney General's Office, Cuba Libre Rum Bar and Restaurant discriminated against the transgender customer when one of its employees preventing her from using the bathroom of her choice that correlated with her gender identity. The customer, who identifies herself as a woman, was asked to show her ID and was refused access to the ladies restrooms in violation of the district's Human Rights Act (HRA), the Attorney General's Office said.
“The district’s laws reflect one of our residents’ most deeply-held values: that all people should be treated equally,” District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine said in a statement. “With this settlement, Cuba Libre is required to maintain policies that will ensure this type of discrimination does not happen again. I want to thank the restaurant’s management and staff for cooperating fully in our investigation and seeking to rectify their wrongdoing.”
The settlement includes Cuba Libre paying $7,000 in penalties and legal costs, providing training to employees on civil rights and district laws pertaining to gender identity as well as posting "gender identity signage" on the restaurant's bathrooms, Racine's office said.