Latest news with #LibertyHotel
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2025 City Kids Gala celebrates uplifting mission
City Kids, a nonprofit that provides children across Boston's neighborhoods and beyond with unique experiences and valuable educational resources, hosted its 2025 City Kids Gala at Alibi in the Liberty Hotel. The event drew a strong crowd of business and civic leaders to support City Kids' mission to meaningfully impact the lives of under-served youth through programs such as educational events, technology access, surf camps, financial literacy lessons, and, most recently, a collaborative art initiative called the City Kids Art Enrichment Program. City Kids, founded by City Realty Group Managing Partners Fred Starikov and Stephen Whalen in 2012, has served more than 10,000 children during the past decade and provided $1 million to ensure children, schools, and youth development programs have the educational resources and technology they need. 'We are proud to partner with and support organizations such as The BASE which share our passion for inspiring children and giving them tangible tools to achieve their goals and fulfil their dreams,' Whalen said. 'City Kids is thankful for the wonderful support from the community and this gala exceeded our best hopes and was our most successful and impactful yet.' 'City Kids would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to every donor who contributed to the success of the City Kids Gala,' a statement said 'The support plays a vital role in helping the organization continue its mission of uplifting underserved community through programs and supplying essential resources.' This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
CBS News
08-05-2025
- CBS News
Women confronted by security guard in Boston hotel bathroom file discrimination complaint
Woman says Boston hotel security asked her to prove gender after using bathroom Woman says Boston hotel security asked her to prove gender after using bathroom Woman says Boston hotel security asked her to prove gender after using bathroom A couple has filed discrimination complaints against the Liberty Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts after the two women were questioned for using the women's bathroom last weekend. Ansley Baker and her girlfriend Liz Victor say a security guard came into the bathroom, accused one of them of being a man, and then demanded to see their IDs to prove their genders. Complaints filed with Attorney General's office Baker and Victor told WBZ Wednesday night they have each filed discrimination complaints with the Massachusetts Attorney General's office. Ansley Baker and Liz Victor said they were confronted in the women's bathroom at the Liberty Hotel. CBS Boston The women say the hotel has still not retracted its original statement that suggested they were in the same stall, which the women deny. Baker and Victor were at a Kentucky Derby party at the Liberty Hotel on Saturday. In the bathroom, Baker said she was in one of the stalls while Victor waited for her near the sinks. "All of a sudden there was banging on the door," said Baker. "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.'" Escorted out of bathroom Baker, who described the incident as "humiliating," said as she was escorted out of the restroom, comments were directed at her from other women waiting in line. The security guard involved in the incident was suspended on Tuesday, a day after the story aired on WBZ. Baker said she also plans to file a formal complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. The hotel said all staff are being retrained "on inclusive practices and guest interaction protocols." The hotel is also making a donation to a local LGBTQ+ organization.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Says Security Guard Kicked Her Out of Restroom and Asked Her to Prove Her Gender: 'Humiliating'
Ansley Baker says she was asked to show her ID to prove her gender after a security guard kicked her out of a bathroom stall at Boston's Liberty Hotel Baker tells PEOPLE the experience was "humiliating" and "horrible to go through," but says she's thankful for the support she's received since The Liberty Hotel has suspended the security guard and said it is retraining staff and donating to a local LGBTQ+ organization in the aftermath of the incident A Boston woman says she was kicked out of a hotel restroom and forced to show her ID to prove her gender after security accused her of being a man. Ansley Baker tells PEOPLE that she and her girlfriend, Liz Victor, were confronted by security at the Liberty Hotel in Boston while attending a Kentucky Derby party there on Saturday, May 3, as first reported by CBS affiliate WBZ. Baker, 28, says that the couple was confronted in the women's bathroom of the hotel when a security guard entered the facility and began "banging" on Baker's stall door while Victor, who was also in the bathroom but not using a stall, waited for her. "I hadn't even tied my shorts yet. I walked out and there was a security guard just standing in the middle of the bathroom right in front of my stall, telling me to get out, that I was a man in the women's room," she says. Baker, who was born a woman and identifies as a woman, says she was asked to show her ID to the security guard to prove her gender after she stepped out of the stall. She says that both she and Victor, 27, were "heated" over the request, but tells PEOPLE, "I gave him my ID because there's this huge guy standing there intimidating me in the bathroom." She and Victor left after the incident, but Baker says that on their way out of the bathroom, she was yelled at by other women waiting in line, who said things like, "Get him out of here." Baker says the whole experience was "humiliating," especially because it played out "in the bathroom in the middle of everyone." While she tells PEOPLE that she's not bothered by the "comments and weird looks" she sometimes gets while using the women's bathroom, she says she was shaken that the security guard "acted out on that." "Honestly, my worst nightmare came true," she says. Courtesy of Ansley Baker Ansley Baker (L) and her girlfriend, Liz Victor (R) Ansley Baker (L) and her girlfriend, Liz Victor (R) Related: In Their Own Words: Stars on Their Gender Identities In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the Liberty Hotel said they "take this matter seriously" and have since suspended the security guard and are "conducting mandatory retraining" for staff about "creating a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals." The hotel also pledged to donate to a local LGBTQ+ organization on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. In their statement, the hotel said that the general manager has reached out to both Victor and Baker, but Baker says only her girlfriend has been contacted. She tells PEOPLE that she has experienced "absolute radio silence." When contacted for a response to Baker's claim, the hotel did not immediately reply. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. While she says the experience at the Liberty Hotel was "really rattling," Baker says she's been met with "incredible" support — including from the Boston Mayor's Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement — since coming forward with her story, which she chose to share because "this isn't the first time this has happened, and unfortunately I don't think it will be the last." Baker says the experience was "horrible to go through," but adds that "everyone's support has just meant the world. I hope everyone gets that who has to go through something like this." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Says Security Guard Kicked Her Out of Restroom and Asked Her to Prove Her Gender: 'Humiliating'
Ansley Baker says she was asked to show her ID to prove her gender after a security guard kicked her out of a bathroom stall at Boston's Liberty Hotel Baker tells PEOPLE the experience was "humiliating" and "horrible to go through," but says she's thankful for the support she's received since The Liberty Hotel has suspended the security guard and said it is retraining staff and donating to a local LGBTQ+ organization in the aftermath of the incident A Boston woman says she was kicked out of a hotel restroom and forced to show her ID to prove her gender after security accused her of being a man. ADVERTISEMENT Ansley Baker tells PEOPLE that she and her girlfriend, Liz Victor, were confronted by security at the Liberty Hotel in Boston while attending a Kentucky Derby party there on Saturday, May 3, as first reported by CBS affiliate WBZ. Baker, 28, says that the couple was confronted in the women's bathroom of the hotel when a security guard entered the facility and began "banging" on Baker's stall door while Victor, who was also in the bathroom but not using a stall, waited for her. "I hadn't even tied my shorts yet. I walked out and there was a security guard just standing in the middle of the bathroom right in front of my stall, telling me to get out, that I was a man in the women's room," she says. Baker, who was born a woman and identifies as a woman, says she was asked to show her ID to the security guard to prove her gender after she stepped out of the stall. She says that both she and Victor, 27, were "heated" over the request, but tells PEOPLE, "I gave him my ID because there's this huge guy standing there intimidating me in the bathroom." ADVERTISEMENT She and Victor left after the incident, but Baker says that on their way out of the bathroom, she was yelled at by other women waiting in line, who said things like, "Get him out of here." Baker says the whole experience was "humiliating," especially because it played out "in the bathroom in the middle of everyone." While she tells PEOPLE that she's not bothered by the "comments and weird looks" she sometimes gets while using the women's bathroom, she says she was shaken that the security guard "acted out on that." "Honestly, my worst nightmare came true," she says. Courtesy of Ansley Baker Ansley Baker (L) and her girlfriend, Liz Victor (R) Related: In Their Own Words: Stars on Their Gender Identities In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the Liberty Hotel said they "take this matter seriously" and have since suspended the security guard and are "conducting mandatory retraining" for staff about "creating a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals." ADVERTISEMENT The hotel also pledged to donate to a local LGBTQ+ organization on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. In their statement, the hotel said that the general manager has reached out to both Victor and Baker, but Baker says only her girlfriend has been contacted. She tells PEOPLE that she has experienced "absolute radio silence." When contacted for a response to Baker's claim, the hotel did not immediately reply. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. While she says the experience at the Liberty Hotel was "really rattling," Baker says she's been met with "incredible" support — including from the Boston Mayor's Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement — since coming forward with her story, which she chose to share because "this isn't the first time this has happened, and unfortunately I don't think it will be the last." ADVERTISEMENT Baker says the experience was "horrible to go through," but adds that "everyone's support has just meant the world. I hope everyone gets that who has to go through something like this." Read the original article on People
Newsweek
07-05-2025
- Newsweek
Hotel Guard Suspended, Accused of Asking Woman in Bathroom to Prove Gender
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A security guard at a Boston hotel was suspended after being accused of forcibly removing a woman from a bathroom after confronting her about her gender, the hotel confirmed to Newsweek. Why It Matters The incident, which stirred backlash against the Liberty Hotel in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood, comes amid what many LGBTQ+ people view as a rise in anti-trans rhetoric, particularly surrounding transgender women's access to women's bathrooms. Critics have warned that the rising tensions could have ramifications for all women, regardless of whether they are transgender. What To Know Elizabeth Victor wrote in a since-removed Google review that she and her girlfriend, Ansley Baker, attended a Kentucky Derby party at the luxury hotel on Saturday. She wrote that Baker, described as a "6-foot tall, short haired woman," was "forcibly removed from the woman's restroom" by a staff member who required them to show her ID to prove her gender. Bathroom signage is pictured in San Ramon, California, on July 20, 2017. Bathroom signage is pictured in San Ramon, California, on July 20, 2017. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images "This was not just unprofessional — it was traumatizing, discriminatory, and dehumanizing," the review wrote. "My partner and I are devastated." In a statement provided to Newsweek, the hotel confirmed the guard had been suspended following an investigation. "The Liberty Hotel is and always will be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and a place where everyone is welcome and celebrated," the statement reads. "We will continue to educate and train our team to ensure that everyone feels safe and accepted within our four walls and guests who do not show tolerance and acceptance towards others will be removed." Contact information for Baker and Victor could not be found. Newsweek reached out to a family member for comment via Facebook. But CBS News reported that the hotel previously said that "several women alerted security of two adults sharing a bathroom stall," but the couple have denied they were ever in a stall together. What People Are Saying Nina Selvaggio, executive director of the Greater Boston PFLAG, told CBS News: "For gender nonconforming, lesbians, women in general, being harassed in public restrooms is a tale as old as time. I do think the surge in national anti-trans rhetoric is contributing to an increased policing of women's bodies and their expression of gender." The couple told WCVB: "We have not seen any public statement with an apology nor a retraction of their original claims to clarify that Ansley was the only one in the stall." What Happens Next In addition to the suspension, the hotel said it would reach out to Baker and Victor, conduct mandatory retraining for all staff members on inclusive practices starting next week and make a donation to a local LGBTQ+ organization they have partnered with in the past, according to the statement provided to Newsweek.
