Two Human Rights Complaints Have Been Filed Over Alamo Drafthouse's Women-Only 'Wonder Woman' Screenings

A screening room at the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2016/11/04/alamo_drafthouse_dinner_theater.php#photo-1">Alamo Drafthouse in downtown Brooklyn in 2016</a>

This weekend, the critically acclaimed Wonder Woman movie adaptation is breaking barriers and a few box office records. But some men are alleging that the balls-barred, women-only screenings of the film are breaking the law.

Last week, the Alamo Drafthouse announced women-only Wonder Woman screenings at its original location in Austin, Texas. Their popularity led Alamo to bring similar screenings for women and those who identify as women to other markets, including Brooklyn which sold out three screenings that will benefit Planned Parenthood. The famously lively movie theater chain tweaked whiners who complained on social media that the screenings were discriminatory—and that attracted the attention of Albany Law School professor Stephen Clark.

"There was a vibrant argument happening on Facebook. But when the theater responded to complaints, they were pretty snide about it and willing to mock anyone who had a complaint and that really struck me," he told the Washington Post. And after looking at Austin's city code, he filed a complaint with a city agency.

He alleged that the Drafthouse’s women-only event — as it was described in the theater’s advertising — discriminated against male customers based on their gender. Citing the theater’s promise to staff only women at the events, Clark also alleged that the Drafthouse was illegally engaging in employment discrimination.

“It’s the principle of the thing,” he told The Post. “I’m a gay man, and I’ve studied and taught gay rights for years. Our gay bars have long said that you do not exclude people because they’re gay or straight or transgender — you just can’t do that for any reason.”

“We have to deal with the bachelorette parties that come to the gay bar,” he added. “They’re terribly disruptive, but if you forbid women from coming to a gay bar, you’re starting down a slippery slope. It’s discrimination.”

Stacy Hawkins, a Rutgers University law professor, told the WaPo that "the entire controversy could have been avoided with a simple tweak in the theater’s advertising. 'Just eliminate ‘no men welcome’ language,' she said. 'You try to make sure you demonstrate this is an event for and about women and, most likely, men aren’t going to show up.'"

In addition to Clark's Austin complaint, right-wing personality Jack Posobiec filed his own civil rights complaint in New York City earlier this week against Alamo Drafthouse and Carson Daly. A spokesperson for the NYC Human Rights Chair and Commissioner Carmelyn P. Malalis told Gothamist, "The NYC Commission on Human Rights does not comment on open or potential investigations.” However, the Commission does detail the NYC Human Rights Law on its website, which does say "It is against the City Human Rights Law for a public accommodation to withhold or refuse to provide full and equal enjoyment of those goods or services based" on protected classes including age, gender, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation.

On May 30, Alamo Drafthouse issued a statement, "Obviously, Alamo Drafthouse recognizes 'Wonder Woman' is a film for all audiences, but our special women-only screenings may have created confusion - we want everybody to see this film."

Still, Marissa Martinelli put it well on Slate:

It is, of course, very heartening to see so many men joining the fight for gender equality because a theater chain announced a handful of screenings dedicated to women's empowerment. I for one am confident that they will voice similar outrage when they learn that women only accounted for only 29 percent of movie protagonists in 2016, and I can’t wait to hear how they plan to protest the disproportionately wide gender pay gap that exists in Hollywood! Keep up the good fight, lads!

No matter which Wonder Woman Alamo screening you go to, remember—there's a special pre-show.