Sainsbury’s apologises to gay couple for kiss complaint

Sainsbury’s has issued an apology to a lesbian couple who were told to stop kissing by a security guard at a store in Brighton.

University of Sussex student, Annabelle Paige, was at the store with her girlfriend on Saturday (October 11), when a customer complained to the guard about the couple’s public display of affection.

Paige said that the incident – which happened to take place on National Coming Out Day – would not have occurred had it been a heterosexual couple.

She told The Times: “To be honest, I thought she was joking. I’ve never experienced something like that and at the same time as we were in the store there were heterosexual couples being as affectionate, if not more so.

“I’m so shocked and upset about it. I get that if another customer is uncomfortable that’s a bad thing… but the problem is the other customer was in the wrong and essentially being homophobic. The guard didn’t seem to understand that, I was absolutely humiliated.”

Sainsbury’s issued the following statement to The Independent: “This should never have happened – it is clear that Miss Paige and her partner were not behaving inappropriately and we are very sorry that they were treated in this way.

“We have called Miss Paige to apologise and will be making a donation to a charity of her choice.”

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