A Jewish lesbian couple was forcibly removed from a Barcelona LGBTQ+ sauna after another customer noticed one of them wearing a Star of David pendant. The incident occurred at Sauna Thermas, which promotes itself on its website as a 'gay sauna' that 'welcomes everybody.' The sauna has since condemned the event and placed blame on the organizers of a private event held at its premises on May 29.
Incident Details
A video of the confrontation shows a North American woman being questioned by a woman at the spa, apparently an event organizer: 'Are you a Zionist person?' The customer responds, 'Why did you ask me that question? Because I'm wearing a Jewish star?' Another woman then interjects, stating, 'The question is not Jewish, it's Zionist.' The customer's partner, who recorded the incident, is then criticized for filming within the spa, and the couple is promptly escorted out. 'We don't condone genocide, we are sorry,' a staff member says. 'We don't either!' the woman recording replies.
Escalation and Removal
As the couple is led out, one woman repeatedly says 'Free Palestine, please leave. Free Palestine, please leave,' before another adds, 'You're not welcome, go.' Outside, the couple attempts to negotiate with a security guard, saying, 'We won't record anything, we just want to go in and have a good time with everyone. We're going to put our phones in our lockers, it's just weird as hell to do this.' The event organizers then threaten to call the police as other customers queue to enter. The woman filming declares, 'Just so everyone knows, I'm wearing a Jewish star and she asked me if I was a Zionist and said I couldn't come in.' The couple, apparently married, leaves in shock, with one repeating 'wow' as they walk away. 'Welcome to Barcelona,' she says sarcastically before the video ends.
Sauna's Response
Sauna Thermas publicly condemned the incident, distancing itself from the event organizers. 'We deeply regret and unequivocally condemn the events that took place at our venue,' the company wrote on X. 'We wish to state with absolute clarity that we reject any form of antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, discrimination, or conduct that undermines the dignity of any individual.' In a written statement, the sauna noted the exchange occurred 'during a private event held at our premises' and emphasized that it 'completely disassociates itself from the actions and comments of the organizers of that event, who denied entry to several individuals in a manner that was entirely unacceptable.' The event organizers, Bolleras al Vapor, 'will no longer hold events at our premises,' the company added. 'We firmly believe that the actions of governments around the world do not represent entire populations or their citizens. Geopolitical conflicts can never serve as a justification for hatred, censorship, or discrimination against individuals in a social or recreational environment. Our position is clear: we do not take sides in international political conflicts, and we condemn any decisions made by private event organizers that are contrary to our philosophy and values.'
Reactions
Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the incident, writing on X: 'Another antisemitic attack in Spain. Let's be clear: targeting Jews because of Jewish symbols - and demanding they distance themselves from Zionism to be accepted - is blatant antisemitism. Jewish identity and Zionism are inseparable. Authorities must act decisively.' The Jewish community of Barcelona (CIB) also reacted, stating: 'Today we denounce facts that should shame our society. A North American Jewish woman and her wife were denied entry last night to a thermal spa simply for being Jewish.' The group demanded 'the immediate intervention of the specialised services on discrimination and hate crimes,' adding, 'No citizen in Barcelona or Catalonia should be excluded for their religion, origin, or identity. We cannot normalise or tolerate this reality. It is unacceptable.'
