Drag queen course teacher said that the impediment occurred because they were wearing makeup.
A group of drag queens were blocked from entering a shopping mall in the East Zone of São Paulo this Sunday (29). The Penha shopping center regretted what happened and said it was an “isolated event”
The group, made up of 9 people, left a drag queen course at around 16pm and intended to have lunch in the shopping mall's food court. The security guards then said that the group could not enter wearing “heavy makeup”, according to the drag queens.
According to professor Paulo Sérgio Lima Viana, they were dressed in course clothes and made up because it would be a quick lunch and because they needed to return to the theater where the course was held. “How can you stop people wearing makeup from entering? How many women were there wearing makeup?, he asked.
Afterwards, the security manager went to the mall door, according to the group's social media post, and said they couldn't enter because it was the law.
“The security manager came out and told us it was a law. When we demanded that he show us this law, he argued about the ban on helmets and elements that hide the face, such as masks. Then, trying to justify himself by giving examples, he wanted to separate us, to let only the more feminine drag queens enter, he looked at me and said that I wouldn't enter because I had a mustache... Hi?
Faced with the impasse, they called the Military Police and, shortly after, entry was allowed. Still according to the group, the police said it was not homophobia.
“When they arrived, the police declared impartiality, but they began their approach by saying 'Not everything is homophobia!' Sometimes prejudice comes from ourselves'. And they continued to claim that the establishment did not act due to prejudice, but rather due to internal processes, something that neither they, nor the security guard or the manager were able to mention, which was very vague. One of the police officers even advised us not to report LGBTI cases to a police station, because that would be prejudice on our part, as if it were some kind of privilege”, says the text.
The Military Police, through its press office, reported that it is analyzing the incident. The case was registered as unintelligence.
The group members then had lunch at the mall, but expressed embarrassment on social media. They intend to file a police report.
Note from Shopping Penha:
“In relation to what happened yesterday afternoon, 29/01, Shopping Penha informs that:
Since the beginning of its operation, it has positioned itself as a community-oriented enterprise, without any type of discrimination (due to sexual, social, racial, religious, political orientation), and which has its doors open to welcome its visitors.
Shopping Penha regrets and reinforces that what happened was an isolated incident and does not comply with the company's policy. The security team has already been strongly reoriented so that attitudes like this do not occur again.
The administration".
