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Couple says they were kicked out of cab on interstate because they’re gay

Couple says they were kicked out of cab on interstate because they’re gay

PORTLAND, Ore. – A lesbian couple in Portland, Ore., say their cab ride was cut short Thursday night when the driver realized they are gay, and kicked them out and left them on the side of an interstate.

Kate Neal and Shanko Devoll said that when the driver for Broadway Cab noticed they were being affectionate with each other, he started yelling homophobic comments and said “You can’t be gay in my cab.”

Neal said the driver pulled over on the side of Interstate 84, and a second Broadway Cab appeared to pick them up, but the new driver also refused to take them home.

She said they had to climb a fence next to the highway and located a police officer in nearby neighborhood. The officer had been dispatched to find the women because the cab company reported them for skipping out on their fare.

“I feed sad. I feel vulnerable. It was a very humiliating experience. I’m a little angry obviously and I feel bad. I feel sad for the cab driver really,” Neal said.

Watch a report from KATU-TV:

Broadway Cab said in a statement on its Facebook page that it was investigating the incident and that “the involved driver’s authority to operate has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.”

The city of Portland has also opened its own, independent investigation, and Broadway Cab said it is cooperating with them.

Oregon’s public accommodations law mandates that businesses provide “full and equal accommodations without any distinction on account of race, color, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.”

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