Restaurant and Trans group settle claim

Sisters Family, a transgender group, has filed a discrimination complaint with the city of Peabody, Mass., saying eight of the group's members were turned away from a restaurant because of their appearance, the Saugus Advertiser reports.

The incident occurred January 29 at Capone's Italian American Restaurant.

Sisters Family founder Ashley Bottoms said an employee ran to block the entrance when he saw the group approaching the door. A doorman then asked the eight for identification. One person in the group produced a driver's license that showed she was female, but an employee "said to her, 'You're a man,'" Bottoms said. The next day, when she telephoned the restaurant to complain, an employee told her, "Your kind isn't welcome here."

Bottoms said the group had eaten at the restaurant plenty of times before and never had any problems. A representative for Capone's declined to comment to the Advertiser.

Sisters Family filed a complaint with the Peabody mayor's office. Representatives from the group and restaurant management appeared before the Peabody Licensing Board February 22 and agreed to mediation on the matter.

"We're not out for blood or to hurt anyone's reputation," Bottoms said. "We just want to be accepted for who we are."