Cameron Village to meet with lesbian couple

Caitlin Breedlove says the guard and a security supervisor asked her and her girlfriend to leave Cameron Village Wednesday afternoon after the guard saw them embracing and one kiss the other on the cheek.

Lynne Worth, vice president of retail leasing for York Properties, which manages Cameron Village, said in a statement Friday afternoon that the guard involved has been suspended and that the supervising officer and all security officers will receive sensitivity training.

Management also plans to meet with the couple on Saturday.

“Cameron Village is a family-friendly shopping center that welcomes the entire community,” Worth said. “We sincerely regret Wednesday’s events.”

“Cameron Village is committed to maintaining an open and welcoming environment for everyone,” she added.

Breedlove, who is the co-director of a social justice group called Southerners on New Ground, said that she asked the security guard if they would have been asked to leave if they were a heterosexual couple and that the guard replied “no.”

"We really appreciate Cameron Village acknowledging what happened and taking responsibility for it,” she said Friday. “We are looking forward to our meeting."

Breedlove added that she and her girlfriend are opposed to anyone losing their jobs. They just want anti-discrimination training for all the security guards and an apology.

She said she hopes the situation can bring awareness to discrimination of all types that goes on every day.

Her group has planned a gathering for Sunday at Cameron Village to raise awareness and that she said, and she hopes representatives from York Properties will be there.