Williams was talking about the holiday "Galentine's Day," created by the TV show Parks & Recreation, which celebrates female friendships the day before Valentine's Day.
When she saw men clapping along with the women after a joke, she commented:
"If you're a man and you're clapping, you're not even a part of this. I don't care if you're gay. You don't get a [menstrual period] every 28 days. You can do a lot that we do, but I get offended by the idea that we go through something you will never go through."
Williams then went on to say to gay men:
"Stop wearing our skirts and our heels. Girls, what do we have for ourselves? You'll never be the woman that we are, no matter how gay!"
. @WendyWilliams to LGBT community. “I get offended at the idea that we go through something you will NEVER go thro… https://t.co/lgBnEfyu60— CodeineAmari (@CodeineAmari) 1581620106
Internet users everywhere denounced Williams's comments as homophobic and transphobic.
Oh, Wendy. Your homophobia is showing: Wendy Williams to Gay Men: 'Stop Wearing Our Skirts and Our Heels' https://t.co/qFVwhUsrtv— Jeffrey Luscombe (@Jeffrey Luscombe) 1581626159
@WendyWilliams i love you, i really do but if you’re telling us to stop wearing “y’all skirts and heels”, then give… https://t.co/RZe9Szi6JH— Bru_e_williams 💕 (@Bru_e_williams 💕) 1581637109
.@WendyWilliams, some friendly reminders: 1. Many cis women would be offended by having their womanhood reduced to… https://t.co/yuGEDTaFv1— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️⚧️🇺🇦 (@Charlotte Clymer 🏳️⚧️🇺🇦) 1581633607
Wendy Williams seems to have some trouble avoiding controversy.
Earlier this year, she had to issue an apology after making fun of a scar on Joaquin Phoenix's lip.
In 2018, she said she was "sick" of the #MeToo movement.
Y’all remember when Wendy Williams got coin to do that awful Drag Race commentary during the commercial breaks? 😅 N… https://t.co/bT8xQMQDQ7— Kelly Mantle (@Kelly Mantle) 1581636903
Gays obsessed with @WendyWilliams is on our team: SHE. IS. NOT. Drop her. She's toxic. https://t.co/iX7hS6gmfX— Matthew Rettenmund (@Matthew Rettenmund) 1581624196
Many pointed out notable LGBTQ celebrities who wear high heels and skirts.
#WendyWilliams @WendyWilliams life long watcher but no more! You are a transphobic / homophobic woman who doesn’t g… https://t.co/sNavVdme8Q— Paul Schmidt (@Paul Schmidt) 1581637933
Transphobia is no laughing matter.
Before long, Williams had issued an apology to her fans.
But for many, the damage had been done.
Wendy Williams will have to be more careful in the future—there's a fine but important line between speaking frankly about gender and being ignorant and intolerant.
Kevin Chaffe and his fiancé Ken had their wedding date set for March 28, 2020.
A venue is the foundation of wedding plans. One of the first steps to planning a wedding is booking a venue.
After the location is locked down, everything falls into place around it. Though the planning process is notoriously stressful, it's all worth reaching the ultimate goal of having a celebration of love between you and your partner for your family and friends to enjoy.
But that was almost ruined for this couple.
Chaffe and his partner were all set to say "I do" at Priors Tithe Barn, a rustic-style venue in the Cotswolds, south central England. The happy couple were anticipating their wedding date to be unforgettable.
The date became unforgettable for the wrong reasons.
According to Pink News, Chaffe unexpectedly received the news from his wedding planner that the venue had canceled the event.
Chaffe was told that the cancellation was due to it being a same-sex marriage.
He later called the venue out on Facebook.
He began the post:
"So our wedding reception venue cancelled on us today because we're gay!He expressed his disappointment that something like this could happen in 2020.
He had multiple correspondence with both our names in it ....."
"I think this is just disgusting that in a modern world where u can by law express the love for your partner irrelevant of the gender , we could get married in a church by law!!"
Luckily, the couple's wedding planner, Kerry Jones, was able to save their big day.
"It has been a devastating blow to myself and ken but with that being said our truly amazing friend and outstanding wedding planner Kerry Jones had us another venue within the hour , I can't thank kerry enough for the support she has provided us today even when faced with such horrific news kerry your amazing and a truly wonderful human being ."
Chaffe then encouraged others to share his post about the incident:
"I've posted a picture of the venue that doesn't agree with same sex marriage so by all means share this post far and wide , there's not room in this world for this type of blatant discrimination And homophobia .Jones commented, expressing, that as a wedding planner, the ordeal was heartbreaking to go through.
Love is love"
Kerry Jones/Facebook
People went in on the venue.
Kelly Guest/Facebook
Sarah Kirby/Facebook
Jack Brint/Facebook
Helen Lee/Facebook
Jacquie Poole-Voyce/Facebook
People began swarming Priors Tithe Barn's page with negative reviews.
Kitty Darling/Facebook
Imogen Locke/Facebook
Lucy Weatherwax/Facebook
Megan Parker/Facebook
The venue's 5 out of 5 rating quickly fell down to a 1.1 out of 5.
Chaffe later gave The Daily Mail more details about what had happened.
The owner of Priors Tithe Barns, Tim Wiltshire, allegedly told a caterer for the wedding he "didn't believe in same sex marriage." The discriminatory comment made it back to Jones, who then shared it with her clients.
It's not clear who actually canceled the event.
Wiltshire claims that Jones was the one to cancel on behalf of the couple, but Chaffe says that their planner passed on the message they were no longer welcome:"[Wiltshire] basically said he doesn't agree with same sex marriage and we can no longer use the venue."
Chaffe believes the sudden cancellation, despite Wiltshire having seen their names in emails, is due to the owner assuming it was a mistype.
Wiltshire is blaming the couple's catering company for the misunderstanding.
As he tells it, there was a miscommunication while speaking with the caterer and the issue has "grown out of proportion." Though, one must question what the conversation entailed for such a misunderstanding to have happened.
He has also argued that the wedding was never officially booked:
"The venue position - we are legally licensed here for weddings - is that obviously within that license all couples of the same sex can be married here, but the reservation came through a catering company, I have personal views that don't relate to the official wedding venue views."
Wedding planner Jones has vowed to never work with the venue again.
Jones posted on her business's, Cotswold Chic, page about the incident, following up her initial acknowledgment of the controversy with a positive update on Chaffe and Ken.
Jones updated the concerned public:
"As I am sure many of you will be aware Saturday we posted a distressing statement regarding the discrimination one of our couples faced from their Wedding Venue."
She thanked everyone for supporting the couple:
"The outpouring of love and support for the couple has been so overwhelming that myself, Kevin & Ken would like to thank you all for your kind words at such an emotional time for them both."
She made it clear that their intentions were to bring light to the issues LGBTQ people continually face even in modern times.
"The situation has created lots of attention and has raised awareness of the fact that discrimination still exists in this day and age and we are thankful for that as there is no place for it in modern society."
In opposition to Chaffe's post, Jones discouraged people from attacking anyone.
"Cotswold Chic, Kevin & Ken would like to ensure that people know that the situation they were put in was published to create awareness and not create a hate campaign against anyone in particular. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs regardless if we agree with them or not and our grievance was the fact that these beliefs lead them to be treated unfairly in this instance."
Jones requested privacy while they resolve the dispute and vowed to continue to speak out against bigotry.
"We are now going to be dealing with this situation privately in order to resolve the matter amicably however we shall continue to campaign against discrimination as a whole and not just against one company/individual."
Most importantly, the happy couple are about to embark on a loving marriage together.
"I am keen that the real issue here which is that Kevin and Ken are looking forward to declaring their love for each other and we need get the excitement back by continuing to move forward with their wedding plans privately.
Thank you all once again and remember Love is Love xx"
A website called Citizen's Advice details what qualifies as discrimination due to sexual orientation in the United Kingdom.
The organization offers help in tackling discrimination, as well as advice on steps one can take to combat it. They offer support to people who feel they have been discriminated against due to age, gender, sexual orientation and race.
So she wrote a letter of complaint on behalf of the neighborhood and falsely accused the men of engaging in "sexual acts" to city officials and the police.
She signed the letter and identified herself as "Jessica."
Black gay circuit party accused of allowing ‘sexual acts’ https://t.co/KQK9SpfFe7— Washington Blade (@Washington Blade) 1579879738
While they are not for the faint of heart, the multi-day dance event associated with LGBTQ culture is hardly a violation of the law.
But Jessica accused the partygoers of attending "an organized sex party."
According to the Washington Blade, the event took place at the RedRocks Neapolitan Bistro at 1348 H St., N.E. on January 18.
Deviant Events/Facebook
The exclusive event was promoted as "Deviant Mid Atlantic Leather Weekend"–which was not officially a part of D.C.'s annual Mid Atlantic Leather events at the Hyatt Regency Hotel near Capitol Hill–and catered mostly to Black men with an affinity for leather gear.
The manager of the venue alerted Deviant Event's lead organizer Micah Roseboro about Jessica's letter of complaint.
She had contacted the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), which is in charge of regulating the sale, distribution, and consumption of alcohol at all establishments with a liquor license.
In the letter, Jessica alleged that her acquaintances:
"reported seeing multiple men in very provocative outfits including mesh thongs and leather harnesses walking throughout various residential streets in the neighborhood during and after the event."
She added:
"Several of my neighbors also witnessed various attendees of this event engaged in sexual acts inside the venue and outside the venue."
ABRA can suspend an establishment's license if they are in violation of the city's liquor law or related regulations, including sexual acts.
A spokesperson for ABRA, Jared Powell, received Jessica's letter complaining about the party and told the Blade:
"The complaint has been assigned to ABRA enforcement for investigation."
"Upon reviewing the email, there are no allegations of criminal activity."
Roseboro issued a statement and called Jessica's allegations:
"blatant lies that may be quickly dispelled."
"This last event on Saturday, Jan. 18th, held temperatures close to 27 degrees Fahrenheit, and it snowed earlier in the day."
"No one was walking around outside in the provocative garments she speaks of."
@DaveHolmes I'm only concerned about Leather Weekend in the context of making sure everyone is warm enough because it's pretty chilly in DC!— Jessica Ouellette (@Jessica Ouellette) 1579652087
Roseboro assured that all participants showed up and left "fully covered."
Additionally, he asserted that no sexual acts took place in the venue.
"Lastly, I'd like to dispel her lie about neighbors having witnessed sexual acts inside of the venue."
"That was impossible to do, as windows were completely blacked out on all floors."
"Again, we are proud of the work we are doing in providing a safe space for our patrons, who are queer people of color, so the blackout windows are not to hide them, but rather to protect them from bigoted, hateful onlookers."
Roseboro added that the D.C. police responded to a separate report of an alleged stabbing at RedRocks and showed up at the establishment, but officers saw no evidence of foul play or any other illegal activity.
In his statement, Roseboro clarified the meaning of his organization's name.
"Deviant is wherein queer people of color may gather safely and freely."
"We flirt and dance and dress scandalously. We wear harnesses and thongs and jockstraps and lace just to defy and redefine masculinity."
"Deviant is black, brown, yellow, (some white) and queer."
"Deviant is a place free of violence, shaming and ridicule…We celebrate one another's differences, and appreciate one another on the dance floor."
Cheers to our allies, who understand the importance of us having a safe space to party freely, as queer POC. ❤️ W… https://t.co/iqDIrUUKjQ— DeviantEvents (@DeviantEvents) 1579633736
The bistro's general manager Tavarus Brandon-Flores and his staff have been supportive towards Roseboro and the attendees on the night of January 18 and during the previous circuit party in November.
The Blade reported that Jessica's email indicated she and her neighbors were already expressing they were "horrified" in advance of the upcoming February 15 event at RedRocks.
"We do not appreciate having this kind of activity in our neighborhood."
Despite the pushback, Brandon-Flores offered to go ahead with the next planned Deviant circuit party at RedRocks, but Roseboro said it may be time to look elsewhere.
"As much as I want to fight the good fight, I am looking to move the event to another venue."
"I feel it may no longer be a safe space for my people. I don't want to subject them to hostility generated by Jessica."
