Austrian man barred from 'Ladies Night' lingerie show files discrimination lawsuit
The man said the staff at the store 'looked him up and down' as though he had done something wrong
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man who was barred from attending a lingerie show is filing for a lawsuit for gender discrimination.
The man, named as Gunter S, and his girlfriend had received an invitation by email for a lingerie show in Vienna, Austria, but when he turned up alone he was not allowed inside.
He said his girlfriend had been unable to attend and that he wanted to choose some lingerie for her, according to The Local.
After being refused entry the man is now taking his case to the Ombud for Equal Treatment as an instance of discrimination.
"The lady at the entrance looked me up and down as if I was up to something," he told the Kurier newspaper.
"When the security guard turned up, I decided to leave."
He said the invitation email had not mentioned that single men were not allowed to attend.
When he complained on the shop's Facebook page about his treatment, he was told the event was a "ladies night".
"Dear Mr S., we're very sorry but the event was a Ladies Night. We look forward to welcoming you in the future to an event in our men's department."
In a recent ruling, Austria's Ombud for Equal Treatment declared that "ladies nights" discriminated against men because women were given cheaper drinks and free admission.
Monika Goser, equality prosecutor, told the Kourier that in certain cases it would be appropriate only to invite women - but this did not seem like one of them.
"Such an event is not only aimed at women, as we all know that men also buy underwear,” she said.
Lingerie models did not need “protecting” from men’s eyes and that it was likely that Günter S. had been discriminated against, she added.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments