Hotel Under Investigation After Guard Barged Into Women’s Restroom And Accused Lesbian Of Being A Man
Massachusetts is investigating possible civil rights violations in a case that could reshape how LGBTQ+ protections are enforced in public spaces.
On May 3, a Boston hotel incident sparked both outrage and a formal investigation after a lesbian couple was forcibly removed during a Kentucky Derby event. Ansley Baker and her partner Liz Victor were attending a party at the Liberty Hotel when Baker was confronted by a male security guard who accused her of being a man. The guard demanded identification to verify her gender, a moment Baker later described as deeply humiliating. According to the couple’s attorney, Lenny Kesten, the guard was verbally aggressive and acted without provocation. The incident escalated when the hotel issued a (first) statement accusing the women of sharing a bathroom stall and being “physically inappropriate” (implying misconduct).
Male security guard barges into women's bathroom—bangs on stall door demanding proof of gender.
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) May 7, 2025
Ansley Baker was born a woman & identifies as a woman—yet was still kicked out of bathroom & ordered to leave hotel.
"He demands my ID, which I gave him. Things still got heated. We… pic.twitter.com/BGL4bFy4o7
The public responded immediately, with groups calling the hotel’s response inadequate and harmful. Many called this a clear-cut case of gender profiling and homophobia, particularly toward those who do not conform to rigid gender norms. The hotel’s original statement was later formally retracted, and an apology was issued to the couple after an internal investigation was performed. The hotel stated they had terminated the security guard who instigated the event and would be making a donation to a local LGBTQ+ organization. This only came after a month of continued public pressure and outcry.
Related: “We Will Not Back Down”: Queer BIPOC Bar Reopens After Suspected Hate Crime In D.C.
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination has since opened a formal investigation into violations of civil rights. Though the couple has not filed their own lawsuit, their legal team supports the MCAD’s involvement and is considering further steps.
Under Massachusetts law, it is illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression in any public accommodation, which includes hotels. Massachusetts’ protections cover the right of individuals to use restrooms aligned with their gender identity, and demanding ID based on appearance may be interpreted as unlawful discrimination.
Even in a state with some of the strongest LGBTQ+ protections in the country, this case tests how well those rights hold up in the real world beyond the paper. What began as a single humiliating interaction has now become a call to attention to the systems that allowed it to happen, and what must change to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
