Drag queen barred from entering Texas Whataburger because she was in drag, she says
A drag queen visiting Texas says she was blocked from entering a Whataburger because she was dressed in drag.
Erika Klash, a performer from San Francisco, was visiting Austin to perform at the International Drag Festival for the fifth year in a row, KVUE reported.
When she tried to grab a bite to eat on Sunday at Whataburger, she says she was prevented from entering the building by the restaurant’s security team.
“I was just refused service at a @Whataburger in Austin, Texas, because I was in drag,” Klash wrote on Twitter. “Manager didn’t want me to enter and security blocked me from entering without citing any company policy. I am a professional artist, NOT A security threat.”
Klash — who competed on season two of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula in 2017 — told KVUE she was dressed as Monokuma, a character from the video game series “Danganronpa.”
After posts on Twitter and Facebook, Whataburger apologized for not treating Klash “like family” and asked to speak to her directly.
“Hi Erika - We are so sorry to hear about this,” the company responded on Facebook. “At Whataburger, everyone who walks through the door should be treated like family and we are incredibly disappointed to hear that you were not treated as such. We would like to talk to you personally about this experience and apologize. If it is ok, please DM us your phone number and our leadership will reach out.”
After receiving a similar response to her Twitter post, Klash responded that she’d left her phone number and looked forward to talking with representatives from the company.
Klash’s initial tweet has been liked more than 2,000 times and shared more than 400. Social media users posted their support for the performer.
“Wtf which Whataburger was it??” one user wrote. “Usually the one on Barton Springs lets queens go in, I’m so sorry this happened to you :(“
“Whataburger, thank you for trying to fix this situation because the store’s actions were horrible,” wrote another.
“Really sorry this happened, normally Austin is very accepting. Can’t believe it happened there, but then again it is Texas.”
In a statement to KVUE, Whataburger said it is investigating:
“We’re sorry for the experience Erika had at Whataburger. We love all of our customers and have since spoken with Erika while we continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her visit.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2019 at 8:44 AM with the headline "Drag queen barred from entering Texas Whataburger because she was in drag, she says."