East Texas restaurant to couple: "We just don't like fags."

[KamaAina]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/29/1302821/-East-Texas-restaurant-to-gay-couple-We-just-don-t-like-fags

If you caught ericlewis0's diary last night, you know that Houston's City Council voted yesterday to approve an Equal Rights Ordinance banning discrimination against LGBT people (among other categories of people) in public accommodations, city contracting, and private employment. Although over 200 miles north of Houston and well out of the ordinance's jurisdiction, an incident in the East Texas city of Pittsburg shows just why these kinds of laws are needed. Because yes, contrary to what right-wingers often claim lie through their teeth about, there are businesses that will refuse service to LGBT people if they are allowed to do so. And plenty of them. Case in point: Big Earl's, a Pittsburg restaurant and bait shop that actually has an official policy on how men and women are supposed to "act":

An East Texas gay couple, Collin Dewberry and Kelley Williams, saw that policy in action earlier this week, when they tried to eat breakfast at the restaurant. Actually, they didn't try to eat breakfast--they did eat breakfast, which they enjoyed and paid for. Because gay dollars may have come from gay hands, but they're still dollars to Big Earl's. Just so you don't come back. On their way out, the waitress banned them from the restaurant, citing the restaurant's right to refuse service to anybody, especially men who don't "act like men." According to the couple, the waitress told them, "We don't serve fags here." Earl Cheney, "Big Earl" himself and father of the waitress in question, corrected the record and said his daughter only stated that they "just don't like fags." Because that's better, I guess. More from KLTV-7:...

He went on to claim that Dewberry and Williams exited the restaurant while "carrying on." What is wrong with these gay people, making such a scene after being told not to come back to the restaurant because they "just don't like fags"? Says Dewberry:...

Don't worry, though. Big Earl says that lots of gay couples eat at his restaurant. But those couples act like men and ladies. If you're still wondering about the specifics of this policy, join the club, but Big Earl himself offers these guidelines:

Restaurant and bait shop?!

[onehandle]

1. Teh gay run pretty good restaurants.

Usually with not so much bait that isn't featured as an appetizer.

[shenmue]

2. Is it so hard

to be nice to people?

[etherealtruth]

3. for those motivated by ignorance and hate ... it is too hard

[central scrutinizer]

4. today's special is tomorrow's chum

I always thought "sushi bar and bait shop" T-shirts were a joke

[Gothmog]

5. Under the prior Texas Democratic Party chair, Boyd Ritchie, the party wasted money in East Texas

Boyd Ritchie wasted a great deal of money trying to convince people in East Texas to vote for Democrats and ignore areas like the Rio Grande Valley and Houston. There is not enough money in the world to change the voting patterns of the deep East Texas voters and the money spent on East Texas could have help develop real Democratic voters. The current chairman of the TDP is doing a great job here on focusing on areas where Democrats stand a chance of finding voters.

[PDittie]

6. Heard that crap so many times

Ritchie was convinced that if they just put enough Blue Dogs on the ticket, the East Texas Yellow Dogs would come home. You know, from the Republicans. Yeah, no. He just failed to understand that the ones still living weren't coming back no matter what.

The TDP would be so much better off today if we had elected Glen Maxey instead of Ritchie in 2006.

[Gothmog]

7. I have heard this from Juanita Jean herownself

Glen Maxey would have done a much better job compared to Ritchie. We are concentrating in the parts of the state now where we can win.

BTW, Hinojosa has one full time party coordinator stationed in Fort Bend County and Battleground is promising 15 to 20 canvassers in the fall. I think that we can turn Fort Bend blue. There is a fundraiser breakfast in Fort Bend with Wendy Davis on June 21.