A hotel employee became an overnight meme when he recorded himself calmly declining services to a woman who called him the N-word in a foul-mouthed racial slur.
Craig Brooks told Buzzfeed how he heard the woman calling him a ‘f*cking n*****’ on the phone while she was trying to make a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Austin, Texas.
So, when she came to the front desk, the 26-year-old calmly told her he could not have her stay at the hotel because ‘it’s above [him] now.’
He recorded the exchange and uploaded the video in a now viral tweet which has more than 400,000 likes at the time of writing. ‘It’s above me,’ began trending and it seemed Craig had become an overnight sensation.
But, while the internet has praised his dignified response in the face of racism, the story took an unexpected turn when internet sleuths unearthed a LOT of anti-trans tweets on Craig’s account.
In one tweet, Craig references being gay, but claiming he will ‘NEVER understand trans people,’ which is a pretty strange thing to say about your own community.
Since the backlash, Craig has responded to the tweets by saying he’s not ‘against’ trans people, but that he’s just not ‘with it’.
He told Buzzfeed News:
They’re mad lol I said what I said. People are so sensitive. I’m gay and I KNOW people will not agree with me being gay. I just don’t and will never get trans. Period.
So, Craig is admitting facing discrimination for being gay, and we already know the discrimination he’s faced because of the colour of his skin, and his reaction is that it’s alright to discriminate against trans people in return?
Explaining the incident that led to his online fame, Craig told the publication: ‘When I sent her there twice, she called back, and at this point she was hostile on the phone. I was like, whoa.’
He added the woman told him her mum had just died so she needed a booking right away.
He continued:
I told her, ‘I understand that but you don’t have to be so disrespectful and hostile.’
I said, ‘Is there anything else I can do for you?’ I paused, and she didn’t think I was on the phone with her anymore because her husband said something, and she yelled, ‘This effing n-word,’ and I said, ‘Excuse me?’ and she hung up.’
Let’s be clear, discrimination against anyone is not okay, whether it’s transphobia, homophobia, racism or anything else.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 9am until 9pm Monday to Friday, and 10am until 6pm Saturday, Or email helpline@lgbt.foundation
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com
Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.