Some certain nightclubs in London have been denying entry to people because of their race or body type. These clubs are to be investigated by a new Taskforce.
Westminster City Council will call on clubgoers to provide evidence of their experiences as part of the probe, the Daily Mail reports.
Cllr Iain Bott, who is chairing the taskforce, said: “Discrimination has no place in our nightclubs, and the council is determined to do everything in our power to keep our nightlife inclusive and vibrant.”
In recent months, the stories of several clubgoers who have been refused entry to venues in the capital because of their race or body type have made headlines.
In one of the latest incidents, a woman said that her black friends were refused entry to London popular club Tiger Tiger.
The lady said she was allowed to enter the club along with her white friends but the rest of the group, the majority of which were black, were not.
When they questioned the decision, the lady said the group was told by management “you lot are 5 per cent of my revenue and 100 per cent of my problems”.
The lady went on to describe the incident as a “bleak reminder that racism in the middle of London is alive and kicking”.
Tiger Tiger night club said that it investigated the incident and found there was “no racial discrimination involved in refusing entry to the party” but that “to ensure the safety and welfare of other customers the general manager asked the guests to leave”.
Prior to that, a plus-sized model said a club promoter told her that she could be denied entry if she didn’t bring enough “skinny” friends with her to another London venue.
DJ L, the promoter, accused of fat shaming model Kaisa Henrikka, who was planning on attending the unnamed Mayfair club for her birthday, told The Voice that “all I was trying to do was accomodate her and her friends”.
He said: “As as a black person I get discriminated against, so I know what that’s really like. Any type of discrimination is not nice, whether it’s race, religion, social class, height, age, sexuality or disability and that definitely wasn’t my intentions.
“She has a right to feel offended by any institution that discriminates against her because of her weight, but she’s blowing this out of proportion.”
