'Stags Are Not Allowed': Virat Kohli's Restaurant Chain Faces Criticism For Being Homophobic

Indian Cricket Tema Captain Virat Kohli's One8 Commune has become a victim of widespread criticism on social media for their alleged queerphobic stance. A pro-LGBTQIA group named Res, We Exist has accused the restaurant chain of discriminating against guests from the minority community. In a post on Instagram, the group posted the details of how the Pune branch of the restaurant confirmed their queerphobic stance and mentioned that it was open only for "cisgender heterosexual couples or groups of cisgender women". On their Zomato listing, the restaurant had mentioned that 'stags' were not allowed.

'Stags Are Not Allowed': Restaurant

The group further mentioned in their post that transwomen were allowed with subject to their clothing a group of cisgender or gay men, or even gay couples were prohibited because they were categorized under "stag entries", a group of people that are not allowed entry across many pubs and restaurants in India. The Quint reported that the founder of the group, Indrajeet, tweeted how he called several branches of the restaurant. Still, none of them gave him a proper response about the entry for people from the marginalized community.

One8 Commune Issued Official Statement

The activist group called for severe action by the Zomato and restaurant's management to address this issue since none of their branches displayed a welcoming attitude towards the LGBTQIA group. Amidst all the backlash on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, the restaurant clarified that they welcome all people, irrespective of their gender or sexual preferences. One8 Commune mentioned that as per their name, they have always been inclusive of all communities since their inception.

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