Providencia: Copec Employee Yells at Two Women for Kissing in Public

Original article: Providencia: Trabajador de Copec increpó a gritos a 2 mujeres por darse un beso

An employee at a Copec gas station in the Providencia district of Santiago, Chile, aggressively shouted at a pair of women, insisting they stop kissing in the public space and suggested they engage in such affection «in private.» Witnesses noted that his demeanor shifted to one of aggression upon realizing he was being filmed.

The incident drew widespread condemnation and attention from the Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement (Movilh). Reports indicate that the confrontation occurred on Sunday, February 1, around 5:00 PM, at the gas station located at Avenida Salvador 1368.

One of the affected women described, «We were waiting for an Uber at the Copec on Salvador with Santa Isabel when this guy, Marco Gómez, started yelling at us to stop kissing, claiming we should do it in private since there were children nearby watching.»

Part of the incident was captured by a bystander who confronted the employee. This recording was later shared across social media platforms by Movilh.

«He Was the Only One Who Saw Anything Negative»

In solidarity with the affected individuals and providing legal guidance, Movilh’s spokesperson, Javiera Zúñiga, characterized the incident as an «unjust assault that humiliates a couple, driven solely by discrimination against the display of affection between two women.»

«It’s an arbitrary stance taken by the Copec employee who deemed the kiss inappropriate for children. This is merely an excuse, as the only one who perceived anything negative about the kiss was the Copec employee,» Zúñiga added.

Movilh reminded that such verbal assaults outright violate the Zamudio Law, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Additionally, it contravenes Article 2 of Law 19.496, which establishes that consumers have the right not to be subjected to arbitrary discrimination by goods and services providers,” referring to the fact that the couple had previously purchased cigarettes at that gas station.

In addition to advising the couple to report the incident to Sernac and file charges under the Zamudio Law, Movilh demanded that Copec impose «immediate sanctions and issue public apologies to the affected women.»

The Citizen