A peck on the cheek from one man to another drew the ire of an employee at the Museum of Anthropology in Mérida. Now, the government-run institution is apologizing for the staff hostility.
“The Regional Museum of Anthropology, Palacio Cantón, confirms its commitment to diversity and to be an open and discrimination-free space. We greatly regret that elements of the museum have shown a reprehensible attitude and that it does not represent the values of the museum and the INAH, ” reads the statement posted on the museum’s social media pages.
And the museum is also posting the photograph the staffer tried to prevent.
El Museo Regional de Antropología, Palacio Cantón, ratifica su compromiso con la diversidad y con ser un espacio abierto y libre de discriminación. Lamentamos enormemente…https://t.co/mTpMmJsJU6#AsíSiSePuede @Ay_Paolo pic.twitter.com/WrnqgfynmG
— Museo Palacio Cantón (@palaciocanton) December 2, 2019
According to Ay Paolo, as he is known on Twitter and Instagram, he stood on the front stops of the museum to pose affectionately for a snapshot with novio Alan Gilbert. Suddenly, someone emerged from the reception area that “they couldn’t take pictures like that.”
When they continued with the pose, they were threatened with a visit from security.
The confrontation, from the visitors’ point of view, spread quickly on social media, prompting a response from the museum.
“We do not believe that the Canton Palace discriminates, but it clearly needs to train its staff on issues of diversity and inclusion,” Paolo later concluded.
The museum administration acknowledged that what happened “is a wake-up call to align and reinforce the values and regulations that must be attended by museum staff, and we assume the commitment that it will not happen again.”
