Grocery store fires security guards after ejecting drag queen from store
ST LOUIS, Mo March 26 2018
The Schnucks grocery chain has issued an apology to a local drag performer after a viral video showed him being kicked out of a South Grand store for wearing performance make-up.
Max Wright, also known as performer Maxi Glamour, uploaded a video to Facebook Saturday that showed a security officer confronting him and telling him to leave the south city supermarket. Wright said that he was attempting to get food after one of his events and was told to leave because he was in drag.
“We were buying stuff,” said Wright, “putting stuff in the basket and the security officer came up to us and said you can’t be in here like that, this is not acceptable.”
Wright says the security guard mentioned something about not being allowed inside the store wearing a mask.
The performer can be seen wearing a full face of make-up and his costume in the video.
“I spend a lot of time on my makeup,” Wright said, “and I didn’t want to just wipe it off to go to the grocery store or a restaurant and so I don’t.”
“I thought he was being very strict with the rules. There is a no mask rule for Halloween in which your face is hidden and no ones recognizable,” Wright said, “but I thought maybe I can talk him and tell him I’m not a threat, this is what I do normally.”
Wright claimed he has been going to the grocery store for almost a decade and has never been harassed before. He told News 4 Brenda Gonzalez that he believes that ‘without a doubt’ the ordeal was an example of discrimination.
The performer said the security guard kept telling him to leave, despite his explanation, prompted him to start recording. In the video, another security guard is seen helping the first guard escort Wright out.
“This is what we are subject to,” Wright said in the clip. “This is disgusting.”
That night, Wright posted the video on Facebook explaining what happened. The video has been shared over 400 times with over 21,000 views.
Wright said he felt overwhelmed after receiving hundreds of messages on social media offering support.
News 4 reached out to Schnucks about the incident and told us that the two security personnel involved acted on their own without involving or informing store management. The company said that effective immediately, both security guards no longer work at that store.
Wright said that he received a phone call from the grocery chain Sunday afternoon apologizing for the incident.
“She was so nice and she was understanding and she was like this is not our policy. You’re welcome anytime,” said Wright.
A spokesperson from Schnucks Market Inc. released the following statement regarding the incident:
Schnucks embraces, encourages and celebrates diversity and inclusion so we were alarmed after hearing of this incident and looked into it immediately. We learned that the two security personnel involved acted on their own, without informing or involving store management or any Schnucks teammates. We have spoken with the security company and informed them that effective immediately, the two security personnel involved are no longer allowed to provide security at any Schnucks store. We sincerely apologize for the unacceptable experience our customer had. We have also spoken with the customer directly to personally apologize as well.
News 4 contacted the security company that employs the two security guards involved in the incident.
An employee at the company told News 4 during a phone call that there wasn’t anyone available on Sunday who could comment about what happened.
Wright says he’ll keep shopping at Schnucks and doesn’t hold what happened to him against them.
He also doesn’t want any public backlash against the security guards.
“I don’t want people to hate them because of this,” he said, “I want them to move on and learn drag queens are an important part of our society and we need to respect them.”
KMOV
