No stags, LGBTQIA+ people allowed in Kohli’s restaurant, cricketer slammed for discrimination

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• Nov 16, 2021 | moderator

Mumbai: Virat Kohli was at the receiving end when an LGBTQIA+ group slammed the cricketer online for showing discrimination against the group. One8 Commune, a restaurant chain owned by Virat Kohli, found itself surrounded in controversy following a series of Instagram posts uploaded by the an advocacy group accusing Kohli of discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community.

The group - 'Yes, We Exist' - said in a series of posts on Instagram that One8 Commune has branches in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata. The Zomato listings for the restaurant say "stags are not allowed", the post went further to say.

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"We DM'ed [direct messaged] them 2 weeks ago, got no response. We called the Pune branch, they confirmed that entry is not allowed only for cisgender heterosexual couples or groups of cisgender woman; gay couples or a group of gay men are not allowed; trans women allowed subject to their clothing," read the Instagram post by 'Yes, We Exist'.

The LGBTQIA+ activism group also stated that the Delhi branch of One8 Commune did not respond to its queries and the Kolkata branch said "stags are not allowed" despite its Zomato booking page suggesting otherwise.

"Discrimination against LGBTQIA+ guests is common at such fancy restaurants, bars and clubs in India, and Virat Kohli is no exception," the post adds.

In addition, the group also said it has emailed Zomato asking if they have "attempted to sensitise" Virat Kohli.

The allegations invited widespread criticism on social media with users requesting Virat Kohli and Zomato to take note of the matter.

"Captain @imVkohli has a chain of Resturants and guess what the LGBTQIA+ people are not welcomed. Queerphobic," wrote one Twitter user.

Another added, "Being a homosexual individual hearing this kind of news is so normal that it's saddening. People say LGBT rights are not do and die situation but don't you see day by day discrimination for basic needs. I hope @imVkohli @AnushkaSharma @zomato can do something about this."