What started as a normal trip to the mall ended in tears for a West Kelowna couple.
While at Kelownasa国际传媒檚 Orchard Park Shopping Centre on Wednesday, July 8, Razvon Bachmeier and his boyfriend Robert Boettcher were confronted with homophobic remarks and a police report.
The couple was at the jewelry booth in the Bay when a woman tried to cut in line as an attendant attempted to assist Bachmeier. The cashier told the woman she would be helped after the Bachmeier finished.
She went up to the counter again less than a minute later, Bachmeier said, still unimpressed she had to wait in line.
sa国际传媒淪he was just one of those entitled people who felt she didnsa国际传媒檛 have to wait her turn in line,sa国际传媒� Bachmeier told the sa国际传媒, adding that the woman was making sa国际传媒渞ude huffing noises.sa国际传媒�
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Noting her apparent displeasure, Boettcher then asked the woman if she had a problem, to which Bachmeier claims the woman told him to sa国际传媒榮hut up.sa国际传媒�
At that point, an unnamed third party started filming the incident, which was later posted to Facebook and has garnered over 35,000 views and 700 shares within 48 hours of being posted.
Letsa国际传媒檚 make this go viral.My boyfriend and I were in The Bay in Kelowna BC today. I was being helped by a sales...
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sa国际传媒淪he mustsa国际传媒檝e taken one look at how I was dressed sa国际传媒� which I mean, I was wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt sa国际传媒� and thatsa国际传媒檚 when she started throwing around the word sa国际传媒榞aysa国际传媒�,sa国际传媒� Bachmeier said. sa国际传媒淭here was so much more before that the video doesnsa国际传媒檛 show and there was so much after that the video doesnsa国际传媒檛 show.sa国际传媒�
After she called him gay, Bachmeier called the woman a sa国际传媒渂sa国际传媒�-tch.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淥bviously things and tempers escalated quickly. We could have improved on how we handled the situation as well,sa国际传媒� he said.
Boettcher then called the woman homophobic and she went to call security. She also called the police. The Kelowna RCMP confirmed to the Capital News that it received a report, but determined that no criminal offence occurred.
Despite this, Bachmeier claims the woman returned, after the filming had stopped, and told the couple they had to wait for the police to show up. At that point, the woman left.
The couple was told they could leave by the Baysa国际传媒檚 security and staff.
sa国际传媒淲e gave them our info and left. Shaken and in tears,sa国际传媒� Bachmeier said. sa国际传媒淢y boyfriend hasnsa国际传媒檛 even been out of the closet a year, so this was a huge issue for him to deal with.sa国际传媒�
After the video was posted to social media, Bachmeier said he was made aware of sa国际传媒渉ateful commentssa国际传媒� directed at the woman and her family and discourages anybody else from doing so as it only adds to the negative situation.
sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 not what this is about; Itsa国际传媒檚 just about raising awareness,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭his is still happening. Wesa国际传媒檙e not in the States; wesa国际传媒檙e not in some little hick town; wesa国际传媒檙e in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. And it still happens.sa国际传媒�
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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