The French couple, Arno and Léo, who are known to their large following on social media as @byarnoleo, shared a video on TikTok and Instagram detailing their experience at the Badeparadies Schwarzwald in Titisee-Neustadt. The video, which has since been viewed millions of times, captures the immediate, emotional aftermath of their removal from the spa.
The Couple's Account: "Because We Are Gay"
In the video, a visibly distressed Léo states, "You get kicked out of a spa because you're gay." The couple claims the incident began after they shared a simple kiss in one of the pools. According to them, a staff member immediately approached and reprimanded them.
Arno and Léo state that they pointed out several heterosexual couples in their vicinity who were also being physically affectionate without being approached by staff. They allege that when they questioned this apparent double standard, the situation escalated, and they were threatened with police involvement before being escorted out. An emotional phone call recorded in the video captures Léo telling his mother through tears, "This is what it's like to live as a gay man. I wasn't even allowed to kiss my boyfriend, Mom."
In a follow-up statement, the couple described the experience as one of "deep humiliation and discrimination," firmly rejecting any suggestion that their behaviour was inappropriate. "We're not savages, we're well-mannered," they stated. "It was about the fact that we're gay."
The Spa's Response: A Matter of Rules
In response to the growing online attention, the management of Badeparadies Schwarzwald issued a statement defending the actions of its staff. Spa director Jochen Brugger firmly denied that homophobia played any role in the decision.
"The Badeparadies Schwarzwald is a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of their personal background," Brugger told German newspaper BILD. "Our house rules apply equally to all guests and form the basis for our team's decisions."
The director stated that the incident was reviewed internally and concluded that the couple's removal was justified. "A kiss was not the deciding factor in the expulsion," he clarified. "It resulted from multiple violations of the generally applicable house and bathing rules and has no connection whatsoever with the personal backgrounds of the individuals involved."
A Case of Conflicting Narratives
The incident now stands as a classic case of one party's word against another's. With no video surveillance in sensitive pool areas for privacy reasons, there is no neutral footage to verify or disprove either claim. While the spa maintains its right to enforce its rules for all guests, Arno and Léo believe those rules were used as a pretext to target them for being a same-sex couple.
The situation highlights an ongoing issue for the LGBTQ+ community, where public displays of affection that are considered normal for heterosexual couples can sometimes be viewed and policed differently when they involve same-sex partners. It also underscores the power of social media as a tool for individuals to bring public scrutiny to experiences of perceived injustice.
