Oracle Director’s Flash-Mob Gay Rights Protest

A senior Oracle director was at the centre of a gay rights, flash mob protest at the John Snow, a London pub, following the ejection of two men for “obscene” kissing last Wednesday.

We’re Here, We’re Queer And We Won’t Buy Your Beer

Paul Shetler (pictured), a senior director for Oracle’s Global Financial Services, felt so incensed by the homophobic action, and two recent, similar London incidents, that he organised a peaceful flash mob event through Facebook.

He expected 10-15 people initially but this swelled to a crowd of hundreds, closing Broadwick Street And Lexington Street in Soho.

A crowd began to gather at the John Snow at 7.00pm on Friday night for a “kiss-in”, only to find that the pub had locked its doors earlier that day. The protesters settled for pinning a rainbow flag on the pub’s door lintel, kissing in the street and chanting: “We’re here, we’re queer and we won’t buy your beer”. Gay rights activist and campaigner Peter Tatchell also attended.

Shetler, originally from New York, told The Guardian, “I just set it up because I thought it was outrageous that people should be banned from a club like this for kissing – as if kissing is somehow obscene, or wrong, or dirty or something like that. It seemed crazy to me.”

Angry Confrontation

At one point Shetler lost his temper when members of the extreme left-wing Socialist Worker party encroached on the kiss-in with a loadhailer and placards supporting gay rights but also attacking the Libyan conflict and other political issues.

The apparent leader of the incursive group was asked, in no uncertain terms, to leave. A video of the confrontation, seen by eWEEK Europe, has been withdrawn from public view, possibly at the request of YouTube due to abusive language and verbal threats made by Shetler.

The John Snow protest revolved around a first date for charity volunteer James Bull and financial journalist Jonathan Williams. After having a meal together, they went to the John Snow to get to know one another better. This led to the kiss.

A male customer complained and the couple were asked to leave by a female member of staff. According to Williams, she identified herself as the publican but refused to give her name. Allegedly, she described the couple’s kissing as “obscene”.

Shetler, an acquaintance of Williams, picked up a Twitter message about the incident and immediately set up a Facebook page inviting everyone for a drink at the pub. He suggested that they should all order tap water rather than swelling the coffers of Samuel Smith, the pub’s owners.

Another Protest Planned

He claims that over 800 people confirmed their attendance and said he was not disappointed that the pub was closed.

“Obviously it was enough to make this thing [the pub] shut down. It obviously made our point,” he said.

A second group of sympathisers has arranged a demonstration for Thursday April 21. The Facebook page is littered with comments, some in support of the demo and others alleging that the couple were barred for indecent behaviour, rather than for being gay.

Neither the management at the John Snow nor Samuel Smith’s brewery have made themselves available for comment.