The Liberty Hotel in Boston kicked out two cisgender women, Liz Victor and Ansley Baker, after the latter was ordered to “prove” her sex when using the bathroom. The couple went to CBS News to discuss their experience with the hotel and one of its security officers. 

The pair attended a Kentucky Derby party at the Liberty Hotel, after which they went to the bathroom. While in a stall, a male security guard came into the restroom and banged on individual doors, claiming that Baker was a man.

“I pulled my shorts up. I hadn’t even tied them. One of the security guards was there telling me to get out of the bathroom, that I was a man in the women’s bathroom. Someone said, ‘Get him out of here,’ referring to me. ‘He’s a creep,’ also referring to me,” Baker told CBS. 

She was then “forcibly removed from the women’s restroom by a staff member”, according to Victor and had to “prove” her sex to the security guard by showing her ID. Even after she did, she was still made to leave the bathroom. It should be noted that Massachusetts does not prohibit people from using a public bathroom consistent with their gender identity.

The couple were then escorted to the lobby, where tensions had reached a peak, and they were forced to leave the hotel. “Even after verifying she is a woman, we were both ejected from the event entirely, while shaken, crying, and publicly shamed… No guests stepped in. No staff de-escalated the situation. No compassion was shown. This was not just unprofessional — it was traumatizing, discriminatory, and dehumanizing. My partner and I are devastated,” Victor said.

The Boston hotel claimed that “several women alerted security of two adults sharing a bathroom stall” and had the security officer act on the claim. The couple denied this and said, “If that’s what he thought the issue was once he opened the stall door, obviously there was only one person in there, so it should’ve been case closed.”

The hotel also claimed that one of them had put their hands on the security guard, and this is why they had been kicked out. The couple also denied that this happened. 

The Liberty Hotel responded that the officer had been suspended after concluding an investigation and will have to retrain with a focus on inclusivity. The hotel claims it has always been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and will continue to be.

“We will continue to educate and train our team to ensure that everyone feels safe and accepted within our four walls and guests who do not show tolerance and acceptance towards others will be removed,” the Liberty Hotel told CBS News.

It also said it will donate to a local LGBTQ+ organisation on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, although no specific organisation was named.

Nina Selvaggio, Executive Director of the Greater Boston PFLAG, made a statement to CBS News regarding the incident. “For gender nonconforming lesbians, women in general, being harassed in public restrooms is a tale as old as time. I do think the surge in national anti-trans rhetoric is contributing to an increased policing of women’s bodies and their expression of gender.”