Montreal bar owner, students make amends following homophobia charge

MONTREAL – A Quebec student association which had accused a popular Montreal bar of homophobia says it’s satisfied with the response from the owner.

Vincent Fournier Gosselin, an executive with the group and student at Universite de Montreal, had asked Bar Le Saint-Sulpice for an apology after a bouncer allegedly kicked out two male students for kissing.

Gosselin said the incident happened during a medical school orientation event last Friday night.

But the owner, Maurice Bourassa, told Radio-Canada the pair were acting inappropriately — regardless of their sexual orientation — and were on a fire escape, in violation of the safety code.

Bourassa says his bar, a popular spot in the city’s Latin Quarter, is open to everyone.

News of the incident spread quickly on social media and an advocacy group organized a “kiss-in” in front of the bar later this week.

In a statement Monday evening, Gosselin said he’s happy a dialogue was opened between the two sides in an attempt to clear up the situation.