Australians have vowed to boycott a famous queer pub after a father claimed he was kicked out for wearing a Donald Trump hat.
Rob Holt claims he was told to leave The Wickham in Brisbane on Sunday after a staff member told him the hat might offend people.
Holt was wearing a cap that had the slogan “Trump 2024” printed on the front with five gold stars emblazoned in the middle.
“(The staff member) said some people here don’t feel safe and are a little worried about you wearing that (hat) here,” Mr. Holt said. Nine news.
The “confused” father, who was attending a Halloween event at the pub with his wife and daughter, claims he spent several hours inside the venue wearing the outfit.
Australians were left divided over the incident, with some labeling the behavior a form of “discrimination” while others vowed to never visit the pub.
“I’ll stay away from ‘Woke Wickham’ that’s for sure,” one person wrote on Facebook.
“(I) will never go to that pub,” another person wrote.
Rob Holt (pictured) claims he was kicked out of The Wickham in Brisbane on Sunday after a staff member told him people might be offended by the hat.
“That’s discrimination against someone for having a political opinion,” added a third.
Others said some pubs do not allow people to wear hats on their premises, while some questioned why Holt wore the hat in the first place.
“Each place has the right to establish a dress code,” one person wrote.
‘Who’s wearing a hat inside?’ one person asked.
Holt said he didn’t notice any problems until he was asked to leave and said he felt embarrassed that the dramatic moment had unfolded in front of his young daughter.
“Especially my six-year-old daughter, I didn’t want her to see her father being kicked out of an establishment for what I don’t see any reason for,” he said.
“If they were upset about it, I could have easily taken it down instead of them telling me to leave.”
The incident left Australians divided with some vowing never to visit the pub (pictured at The Wickham in Brisbane).
Mr. Holt said radio 4BC on Tuesday he was about to leave the pub when the staff member saw him sitting in a chair near the bar with the hat on.
He claims five members of staff, including the manager, approached him to discuss concerns about the limit before he was told to leave.
Holt said while he is not angry about what happened, he would like an apology from the pub.
“I wish they would get in touch and say it was all a mistake or something,” he said.
“It would be good to hear from you.”
The Wickham is a heritage-listed pub that was established in 1885 and became a well-known LGBTQIA+ venue in the 1970s.
According to its website, the pub prides itself on “creating a modern and safe space for all customers, regardless of their gender identity, race or sexuality.”
Daily Mail has contacted The Wickham and Mr Holt for further comment.