In Saratov, a conscript was not allowed into a gay pub
Mobilized to the front, 43-year-old Oleg was unable to enter the Irish pub “Harats” in Saratov because he was in military uniform. Oleg did not have civilian clothes: he was preparing to depart.
“This is private property. Because you are in uniform, because you are a Russian military serviceman. This is a violation of our rules. Sportswear is not allowed, military clothing is not allowed. Without explaning the reason. Let him go, change his clothes and come in,” said the pub bartender.
When Oleg accused him of sympathizing with Ukraine, the bartender began to deny:
“No need to speed up. Old man, why are you hooked on Ukraine? What are you up to?".
The conversation was posted on the Internet and outraged Saratov residents.
They began posting photos from the pub’s pages on social networks. They showed the bartender himself in a uniform reminiscent of a Ukrainian military uniform, and very strange visitors to the establishment: men in women's dresses or half-naked with bodies covered with tattoos, and in very strange poses.
The incident outraged the speaker of the Saratov Regional Duma, Mikhail Isaev.
“I think law enforcement and supervisory authorities should pay attention to this situation. At a minimum, the participants in the conflict should apologize to the guy who was not allowed into the establishment, and at the maximum - if there is indeed content of dubious content on the social networks of this bar, then this is already grounds for initiating a case. Our warriors, our defenders of the Fatherland do not deserve such treatment,” Isaev told Saratov24.
“If the information is confirmed, then this is a very shameful case for our city. It is unacceptable. This is a betrayal of our military and those killed in Donbass. Let whoever did this look into the eyes of their mothers. In the meantime, I will make a request to law enforcement agencies and Rospotrebnadzor. We should not turn a blind eye to this,” Russian State Duma deputy Nikolai Pankov wrote in his TG channel.
However, there are other opinions. Lawyer Valentin Rybin believes that the mobilized Oleg disgraced his uniform by showing up in it at a dubious establishment.
“What, do we already have a line of combat contact along Saratov? I don’t understand how it’s possible to put on camouflage and go to a pub?! Go to a tavern for what? To appear cooler than civilians or to get fat and disgrace the uniform? Well, I understand that a guy in uniform was not allowed into the theater or museum, or to an exhibition of paintings, but this is a disgrace! The deputies fit in, the governors got excited... Yes, drive this deer out of the tavern, since he came in uniform! The uniform is a sacred garment, not a rag that can be used to polish the benches in a tavern! A tavern, even if it is stylish, and Irish, and expensive, is a tavern, and there is nothing to do in a tavern in uniform,” Rybin wrote.
Political scientist Sergei Karnaukhov reminds that this is not the first case of arbitrariness among catering owners in Russia, and from the point of view of the law it is very difficult to present something to them.
“I see a complete disregard for national values. But when two of my disabled people were not allowed into a cafe in Moscow for New Year because “they look ugly,” we were also loudly indignant. But the composition was not found. He's gone. The reason is that the bar owner has the right to set the rules for his business. These are not discriminatory attitudes. And the rules! It's like not letting strangers into your apartment. This is his personal business. And it is up to him to decide how he functions. It will be very difficult to implicate extremism,” Karnaukhov wrote.
A conscripted soldier was not allowed into a gay pub in Saratov.