Woman says Boston hotel guard told her to leave bathroom because she “was a man”

A couple visiting Boston claims they were left feeling confused and appalled after being expelled from the Liberty Hotel during a Kentucky Derby party on Saturday. This followed an incident they described as a wrongful confrontation and accusation in the women’s restroom.

Ansley Baker and her girlfriend, Liz Victor, both cisgender women, alleged that a hotel security guard entered the women’s bathroom and insisted Baker vacate the stall she was using, accusing her of not belonging there, according to ‘The Guardian’.

Baker recounted to CBS News, “All of a sudden there was banging on the door. I pulled my shorts up. I hadn’t even tied them. One of the security guards was there telling me to get out of the bathroom, that I was a man in the women’s bathroom. I said: ‘I’m a woman.’”

Victor, who was by the sinks, heard the commotion and witnessed the security guard confronting Baker. "I looked down and I saw her shoes and that’s when I was like: ‘What is going on?’” she explained to the network.

According to the couple, as Baker was escorted out, other women in line insulted her, labelling her as “a creep” and demanding her removal. The security staff allegedly requested both women to show their IDs to verify their gender. Following a tense exchange, they were asked to leave the hotel.

The Liberty Hotel, in a statement to CBS, accused the women of sharing a stall: “An incident occurred at the Liberty Hotel on Saturday, May 3 where several women alerted security of two adults sharing a bathroom stall. The bathroom was cleared out as two adults in one stall are not permitted. After leaving the bathroom, a member of the couple from the stall put their hands on our security team and it was then that they were removed from the premises.

“The Liberty Hotel has a zero-tolerance policy for any physical altercations on our property. The safety of our guests and staff is our priority, and this event is under investigation. The Liberty Hotel is and always will be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and a place where everyone is welcome and celebrated.”

Later on Tuesday, the Liberty Hotel released a new statement to the Guardian, indicating a different stance after concluding their investigation into the incident on May 3rd. The security officer involved was “suspended from their position immediately” following the review.

The statement added that the general manager was reaching out to those involved and that mandatory retraining on inclusive practices and guest interaction protocols would be conducted, focusing on creating a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ individuals.

The statement further affirmed, “In a reaffirmation of our values, the hotel is making a donation to a local LGBTQ+ organization that we have partnered with in the past, on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), on May 17.”

Baker and Victor, in interviews with local media, insisted they had never shared a stall, disputing the hotel’s initial account. “Once the stall door opened, and I’m the only one in there, it escalated further,” Baker told Boston News 25. “I don’t think that aligns with what they’re saying.”

The couple has informed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s office of their experience, hoping to prevent similar situations in the future. They also aspire their experience raises awareness and brings change. “We know we’re not the only ones that face this kind of thing,” Baker noted to CBS. Victor added: “It was a very scary situation, but trans women experience this every single day in the US and across the world.”

This incident occurs amid rising tensions between the administration and the LGBTQ+ community. Among Donald Trump's initial actions in office were executive orders prohibiting gender transitions for individuals under 19 and banning trans athletes from women’s sports.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” directing the removal of “all radical gender ideology guidance, communication, policies, and forms” from the federal government.

Trump has also restricted access and funding for LGBTQ+ arts, with directives preventing arts organisations from financing projects that promote “gender ideology” and has appointed himself as the chair of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The incident echoes an ongoing Republican debate around bathrooms and gender identity. In November 2024, South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace introduced legislation to prevent Representative Sarah McBride from using the bathroom aligning with her gender identity. Speaker Mike Johnson has backed and enforced that ban.