Former Copa "Queen" Wants Nursing Job Back

[FLAprogressive]

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - "Tiny Tina" has been doing drag shows in Ft. Lauderdale for almost forty years.

And for most of those forty years "Tiny Tina", also known as Ray Fetcho, has been a nurse. That is up until a couple of weeks ago when he was fired on the spot from his job at Victoria Villa, an assisted living facility in Davie, for something that happened more than 30 years ago.

Nearly three decades ago, the Copa Bar in Dania Beach was one of the hottest gay bars in South Florida and "Tiny Tina" was one of its hottest acts – hosting weekly 'wet jockey shorts' contests.

"The contestants came out in jockey shorts and I stood in a little pool and I proceeded to wet them down with a watering can and talk and make fun of them," said Fetcho who pointed out there was never any full frontal nudity.

But in 1976 Fetcho was arrested at one of the shows and charged with promoting a lewd and lascivious performance.

"In those days, this was a wet jockey short contest in a gay bar. If it was a wet t-shirt contest in a straight bar, you know, there would not be kind of big hoopla at all," said Fetcho.

Fetcho said Victoria Villa was forced to fire him last month after the 34 year old conviction showed up in a state mandated screening check. Under state law, the criminal conviction disqualified him from continuing to employment at Victoria Villa where he had worked for the last 16 years.

Read more: http://cbs4.com/local/tiny.tina.ray.2.1531377.html

[midnight]

1. This does not seem right......

[SteppingRazor]

2. Especially here in South Florida. I mean, for God's sake, it's the drag capital of the world. n/t

[Cherchez la Femme]

6. But still in a state

that if it isn't #1, is in the very top of homo-hating states.

I've been boycotting them for years, and goddess knows I miss Key West!

My Texas boycott, however, causes no regret whatsoever, however minuscule.
The last good thing I can recall coming from Texas was Janis, and they virtually kicked her out.

[SteppingRazor]

7. Maybe north Florida, but it's tough to say South Florida's particularly homophobic.

Heck, we've got one of only two cities in the country in which the majority of the city council is gay (Wilton Manors). Of course, that's not to say that homophobia and even outright gay bashing cannot happen. It does. But it's a shocker when it happens.

[bear425]

3. Because it isn't. n/t

[sui generis]

4. agreed.

They were getting rid of an insurance group liability . . . .

They ALWAYS have discretion and at the very least the ability to petition and appeal, so at best they're being dishonest, and at worst they have an ulterior motive that they're misapplying the guidelines to cover.

If it ain't spelled out in law, they have a choice. Policy IS discretionary.

[LeftHander]

5. at anytime a employer can ALWAYS find justification to fire you...

It matters not if it is right, justified or simply mean.

Some managers simply don't want you around, and they make it happen.