Museum Guard Boots Lesbian Hand-Holders

Ironically, they were visiting a well-reviewed exhibit of well-known lesbian artist

Holding hands in public might be a Faux pas for some but in "anything goes" San Francisco it's hard to imagine offending anyone with a little PDA.

But the San Francisco Chronicle's C.W. Nevius tells the story of one couple that was asked to leave a San Francisco museum for doing just that.

An eyewitness tells the seasoned columnist that she saw "a young lesbian couple" arguing with a security guard at the Contemporary Jewish Museum Sunday afternoon.

The security guard allegedly told the couple that they were not allowed to hold hands in the museum. The couple demanded to see someone in charge at the museum and a small crowd began to gather around them as the argument ensued.

A museum spokesperson confirmed that the incident happened last Sunday and that the women met with the head of security, who issued a verbal apology to the couple.

"Please let me be crystal clear that the CJM has a zero tolerance policy concerning any type of prejudiced or racist word or action‹whether directed at CJM visitors or staff," museum director Connie Wolf  wrote in a letter to the museum's board and staff.

A museum spokeswoman said the museum has asked that the guard, who was employed by a private security company, be reprimanded and that the museum has long supported LGBT issues.

In fact, the exhibit the couple was looking at was one devoted to Gertrude Stein, a well-known lesbian artist.

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