Finn McCools Brisbane reviewing policy after Maori woman was refused entry over chin tattoo
Furious teen with a traditional Maori face tattoo is denied entry on a night out with her friends – slamming the venue’s ‘racist’ door policy
- Māori have slammed the door policy of a pub in Brisbane
- She was refused entry because of her chin tattoo
A Brisbane pub is changing its entry policy after a Māori woman took to social media to express her frustration after being denied entry because of her chin tattoo.
Juanita McNamera, who lives in Ascot in the north of the city, said she was banned from the Finn McCools Irish pub in Fortitude Valley on Saturday night because of her moko kauae.
The tattoos are a birthright to the female Māori culture passed down through generations to represent family, community and identity.
“I’m a Maori woman with a moko kauae on my chin,” Mrs. McNamera said.
“It’s considered a toanga (a treasure, not a tattoo), representing my identity as a Maori woman… And ta moko on my neck, representing my mother and sister.”
Juanita McNamera (pictured) took to social media to express her frustration after being denied entry to a bar in Brisbane over her moko kauae, a culturally significant chin tattoo
Ms McNamera said she was with friends at a veterans’ charity event at the Fortitude Valley Music Hall and dressed up, so they decided to go to the nearby pub afterwards.
She claimed that while showing her ID, several security guards outside the venue refused to let her in, saying her tattoos violated their entry policies.
With a large crowd outside the venue on Saturday night, Ms Mcnamera said she felt “humiliated” when she tried to “teach” staff that it was a cultural tattoo, but security didn’t budge.
“The female guard claimed to be Māori and called me a racist because she wouldn’t let me in.”
Ms McNamera said several security guards outside the venue refused to let her in
Ms McNamera told The Courier Mail that a senior person from Hallmark Hospitality, which manages multiple Brisbane and Gold Coast locations, including Finn McCools, contacted her.
In a statement, Finn McCools said it was in the process of changing its access policy.
Finn McCool’s Fortitude Valley is reaching out to Juanita McNamara to apologize for her experience at the venue on Saturday night.
“Hallmark Hospitality has revised its access policy after extensive consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders.”
“Hallmark Hospitality is currently updating the Group Access Policy to reflect and endorse the company’s commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all customers.”
The venue added that it would train staff on the new policies and procedures.
Finn McCools (pictured) said it was reviewing its policy and had contacted Ms McNamera
Last year, Jadene Kini had a similar experience when denied entry to the popular Burleigh Pavilion on the Gold Coast along with her boyfriend, NRLW Titans star Madison Bartlett.
Ms. Bartlett called her friends’ experience “racism at its best.”
Ms Kini said: ‘Every Māori woman has a kauae birthright, it’s an identity, it’s who you are and where you come from.’
“We tried to explain that it’s more than just a face tattoo, it’s a cultural tattoo, but they wouldn’t really listen,” Ms Bartlett added.