Gay man taps new Orlando law for bias claim

Six months after Orlando, Fla., passed an ordinance banning discrimination against gay people, a man has filed the first complaint under the law alleging that he was kicked out of a sports bar because of his sexual orientation. Roger Welch said that on February 13 a bartender at Players Sports Pub told him to leave after Welch mentioned to another patron that he is gay. Welch said he refused to leave, after which the bartender called police and he was cited for trespassing. The city's human relations department is investigating the complaint but won't release any details. It is unclear when the complaint was filed. A manager at Players Sports Pub declined to comment on the complaint. In December the Orlando city council voted to add sexual orientation to the list of classifications protected by the city's antidiscrimination law. Under the ordinance employers are prohibited from denying jobs, landlords can't turn away renters, and public accommodations can't deny service because of a person's sexual orientation.