Boston Hotel Security Guard Kicks Lesbian Couple Out Of Women's Bathroom After Accusing One Of Being A Man

A lesbian couple is calling for a boycott of a Boston hotel after a security guard misgendered one of them and kicked them out.

Ansley Baker and her girlfriend, Liz Victor were attending a Kentucky Derby party at Boston's Liberty Hotel on Saturday, May 3.

According to the couple, a male security guard entered the women's bathroom in the hotel lobby and began banging on the stall that Baker was using while Victor stood by the sinks.

The guard then reportedly accused Baker of being a man, demanding she get out of the women's bathroom.

Boston 25 News reported on the story:

Both Baker and Victor are cis-gender women, and Baker said the ordeal was "humiliating":

"All of a sudden there was banging on the door."

"I pulled my shorts up. I hadn't even tied them."

"One of the security guards was there telling me to get out of the bathroom, that I was a man in the women's bathroom. I said, 'I'm a woman.'"

Baker then said that she was escorted out of the women's bathroom by security, and found herself verbally attacked by other women in line for the restroom.

One reportedly demanded that the security guard "get him out of [the bathroom]", referring to Baker, with another calling Baker a "creep."

In the lobby, the security guard reportedly asked both Baker and Victor for their IDs to prove their gender, before the couple was asked to leave the hotel when things grew "heated," according to Victor.

Victor told Boston 25 News that she and Baker were left "crying and shaking" on the sidewalk.

In a statement released on Monday, May 5, The Liberty Hotel claimed that several women had reported two adults who were sharing one bathroom stall to security, and the couple were asked to leave the hotel after one member of the couple put their hand on the security guard.

Both Baker and Victor firmly deny sharing a stall, with Victor stressing that the security guard opened the stall door to find Baker in their, alone:

"If that's what he thought the issue was once he opened the stall door, obviously there was only one person in there, so it should've been case closed."

"Let her tie up her shorts and go about her day."

While Victor admitted to Boston 25 News that she did put her hand on the security guard's shoulder, it was in an effort to move his shoulder towards her in hopes that he would veer his attention towards herself, and not Baker.

The Couple subsequently released a statement the next day, expressing their disappointment that they had yet to hear anything from the hotel regarding the matter:

"We have not seen any public statement with an apology nor a retraction of their original claims to clarify that Ansley was the only one in the stall."

The incident comes as rights and protections for the transgender community, specifically use of bathrooms, is on the rise. Nina Selvaggio, the Executive director of Greater Boston PFLAG, pointed out how Baker and Victor's incident comes at a time when hate crimes in Massachusetts are currently at a 20-year high.

Selvaggio said:

"For gender nonconforming, lesbians, women in general, being harassed in public restrooms is a tale as old as time."

"I do think the surge in national anti-trans rhetoric is contributing to an increased policing of women's bodies and their expression of gender."

Baker said they wanted to share their story in hopes of making a difference:

"We know we're not the only ones that face this kind of thing and just hope it doesn't happen again and that other people who go through this receive the same support."

Victor pointed out that this happened to them, two cis-gender women, all while transgender women experience incidents like theirs, if not worse, every single day:

"It was a very scary situation, but trans women experience this every single day in the U.S. and across the world."

Baker admitted to Boston 25 News that this was not the first time she has been mistaken for man:

"I'm six feet tall, I have short hair, I often am called 'sir,' mistaken to be a man."

However, Baker and Victor stress that there is a huge difference between an honest mistake and what transpired at The Liberty Hotel.

As the story gained attention, many people took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their disgust with The Liberty Hotel, even going so far as to call for a boycott:

The Liberty Hotel released a follow-up statement on Tuesday, May 6, saying that the security guard in question had been suspended, and that all staff were being "retrained on inclusive practices and guest interaction protocols."

The statement went on to say:

"The Liberty Hotel is and always will be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and a place where everyone is welcome and celebrated."

"We will continue to educate and train of our team to ensure that everyone feels safe and accepted within our four walls and guests who do not show tolerance and acceptance towards others will be removed."

In addition, the hotel said they were making a charitable donation to a local LGBTQ+ organization on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia on May 17.

Baker and Victor have also shared their experience with the office of Boston Mayor, Michelle Wu.