Pregnant and Socializing? Not In My Bar

Michelle Lee was enjoying a glass of water and a chat with a friend at a Chicago-area bar on Friday night when a bouncer asked to speak with her privately.

The bouncer immediately questioned Lee as to whether she was pregnant. Upon confirming that she was indeed eight months pregnant, the bouncer ordered her to leave the bar immediately, claiming that should a fight break out in the bar and something happen to her, the bar could be held responsible and they were unwilling to take that risk.

Leaving aside the fact that the bouncer thought it was likely enough a bar-wide brawl would break out that he had to ask a pregnant woman to leave for her own personal safety, how legal is it to ask a pregnant woman to leave any establishment?

It’s not.

“There are certain things for which you are not able to discriminate against someone, and one is their gender,” said Ed Yohnka, an American Civil Liberties Union spokesman. “And only women can have babies. You can’t discriminate against a pregnant person.”

According to the Illinois Human Rights Act: “It is unlawful to discriminate in the full and equal enjoyment of facilities and services by any place of public accommodation.”

Was the bouncer simply overzealous in his concern for Lee’s safety and the liability of his establishment? Or did he have personal biases colouring his judgment? Did he believe a pregnant woman should be at home, safe from all potential harm, putting the welfare of her child above all for she is a sacred vessel? Did he secretly believe she was acting shamefully, being out at a bar at 8 months pregnant? Or was he truly looking out for her welfare and was just misguided in his approach?

Either way, the fact remains: it’s illegal to ask a pregnant woman to leave your establishment because she’s pregnant. And Michelle Lee was a victim of discrimination.

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Read more: civil rights, pregnancy, womens rights

Photo credit: Mahalie Stackpole

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Christine S.

7:00PM PDT on Aug 7, 2011

If the woman drank some alcohol at the bar and miscarried for an unrelated reason, you know she would sue the bar!

send a green star

Vic A.

3:45AM PDT on Aug 7, 2011

Wouldn't the bar be held responsible for ANYONE who was hurt in their bar in the same situation, and what about all the non-pregnant women, don't they matter.

It was an excuse plain and simple, I hope she sued!

My W.

4:47AM PDT on Jun 21, 2011

If the bouncer was aware that there can be, or has been, regular trouble at this bar, I agree with the bouncers actions. He warned her, gave her reasons why, all done diplomatically and in private.

If on the other hand he did not, and something did happen to the lady and / or the baby, then all and everyone would condemn the woman for being there in the first place, having a right to be there, others would shout and say what about the babies right and the establishment would most probably have been held responsible.

Seems to me that damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Bouncer 1, Pregnant Lady 0.

Martha E.

12:35PM PST on Feb 20, 2011

I don't care what reason was in the mind of the bouncer. You cannot tell someone that she/he is not allowed to be in an establishment, unless they're causing trouble, and are thrown out.

William F.

9:44PM PST on Feb 6, 2011

I agree with Laura S about the question. I answered "Leaning no" because I don't think anyone should go to bars. On the other hand, I would have answered that pregnant women should be allowed to go to bars.

Sheri P.

11:43AM PST on Jan 25, 2011

Oops, I meant "discrimination." Oh, and I hope she told everyone she knows to never ever go there.

11:41AM PST on Jan 25, 2011

Good grief! I hope she sued that place for discrimiation.

Lika S.

1:26AM PST on Jan 20, 2011

Oh, God forbid! Pregnant women must NOT go in public, because the message to unsuspecting teens and kids is that it's good to be pregnant. That's ridiculous.

Sure, it's a possibility that she could get hurt in a bar, but that's her choice to risk that. I could get into my car, drive to work, and on the way there or home, get into an accident that isn't my fault, and leave my son motherless, so should my job tell me I shouldn't work?

Thing is, immediately after having that baby, she's going to be exhausted from labor and delivery, then waking at all hours of the night, etc... What's wrong with her hanging out with the "gals" and enjoying herself (she was drinking water, mind you) while she still has the time and energy to do so.

It's just like the time when my son and I, he was 8 at the time, went to Oregon to visit my sister. We live in Wisconsin. After a behind the scenes tour where he got to interact with an octopus. Upon leaving, my sister told him he was not allowed to buy anything at the store. I bought him a $10.00 "stuffed animal" octopus, the only souvenir he got to bring home for the whole trip... She had the nerve to tell me that I had no right to over ride her wishes, and I was teaching him to be materialistic. It's any of anyone else's business to tell me what I can or can't get my son.

Same for telling pregnant ladies where they can or can't hang out, especially if she's not drinking alcohol.

Lynn H.

1:07PM PST on Jan 18, 2011

She should be allowed to do whatever she wants to do. Do we not let pregnant women in cars because there could be a crash? Are they not allowed in houses with stairs because they could trip and fall down them? What about walking around at night when it's possible she could get mugged? She has to decide what level of risk is ok for her. I might raise an eyebrow at a woman who makes a different decision than I would in the situation, but it's her decision to make and not mine.

Barbara E.

12:21AM PST on Jan 18, 2011

Noted