30 Supporters Of Gay Couple Gather For “Peaceful Protest” At Southwestern Ontario Tim Hortons

About 30 supporters gathered outside a Tim Hortons restaurant in Blenheim, Ontario Thursday to denounce the doughnut shop for kicking out a lesbian couple who kissed outside the store. “I feel very lucky to have this much support with people coming from all over the place,” said Patricia Pattenden, 23, one of the two women ejected from the local Tim Hortons restaurant a few weeks ago. “It’s really great.” The Windsor Star reports that Pattenden’s girlfriend, Riley Duckworth, 25, said the rally helped communicate not just about their situation but about gay rights in general. Duckworth said the story about what happened between her and Pattenden has been blown out of proportion, and that a straight couple would never have been tossed off the property for doing something as tame. “I’ve been telling people the truth, that we didn’t go beyond appropriate displays of affection,” said Duckworth, noting that both her and her partner’s mothers were with them at the time. “We just want to support the LGBT community.” Pattenden and Duckworth, who say that they only pecked each other on the cheek a few weeks ago on Tim Hortons grounds, kissed each other briefly Thursday at the prodding of supporters. The women say besides publicizing struggles the LGBT community face, they want a personal apology from the Tim Hortons assistant manager who kicked them off the property. About 50 people congregated along Talbot Street in front of the Tim Hortons, including those who oppose the two women, watched by about a half dozen police officers. One man, who gave his name as Randy and said he was a retired autoworker from Windsor, held a sign reading: It’s not gay, it’s not straight, it’s get a room.” A number of people suggested the protest was much ado about nothing, claiming that any straight couple would have been asked to stop an overly amorous display of affection. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re straight or gay,” Blenheim retiree Dick Raine said. “You should be thrown off the property for making out in front of everybody.” District Sgt. Jim Lynds of the Chatham Kent Police Service said he was glad tempers did not flare. “It’s a peaceful protest,” Lynds said. “People have been respectful of both sides, which is good to see.” Joost Gragtmans, the owner of the Blenheim Tim Hortons, declined to comment.