Backlash is swift and furious after Indiana pizza restaurant owner brags about ‘no gays’ policy
A small Indiana pizza and ice cream parlor is coming under fire after its owners went on the news and boasted that their establishment would not cater gay or non-Christian functions.
After Crystal and Kevin O'Connor of Memories Pizza appeared on ABC 57 to declare their support for Governor Mike Pence and the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act yesterday, the backlash was immediate.
"If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we would have to say no," Crystal said as she stood in the restaurant, which is festooned with Christian paraphernalia.
"We're not discriminating against anyone, that's just our belief and anyone has the right to believe in anything," she added. "I do not think it's targeting gays. I don't think it's discrimination. It's supposed to help people that have a religious belief."
Despite not believing that the bill would lead to targeted discrimination against members of the LGBT community, O'Connor told the station that her establishment would use the bill to avoid having to cater events like gay or non-Christian weddings.
Her father, Kevin, said everything came down to the issue of choice. "“That lifestyle is something they choose. I choose to be heterosexual. They choose to be homosexual. Why should I be beat over the head to go along with something they choose?" he asked.
Members of the online foodie community did not take kindly to Memories' ownership bragging about being the first business to publicly implement the discriminatory power granted by the RFRA. Robert S. pointed out the obvious on Yelp, writing that "in all my queer life, I've never known a gay to cater their wedding with pizza."
Carol M. wondered if they had "Gaydar installed at the door," and whether the O'Connors "ever considered that you may be serving closeted homosexuals."
John S. kindly informed the establishment that despite its protestations of religiosity, it was violating a number of Biblical dietary laws.
But it was Michael N. who figured out what the O'Connors were probably up to. "This is a transparent attempt to fly the Christian martyr 'mean Gays are calling us bigots' flag in the hopes that other mouth-breathers in the area will rally to them and their crappy pizza the way Southerners rallied to Chick Fil-A," he wrote.
"Deny them the oxygen of your outrage, and their uninspired fare will put them out of business in due course."
Watch a report via ABC 57 below.
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