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The Pizzeria Problem
Mar. 19th, 2017 07:16 pmThis was a dreadful situation all around. http://www.wlwt.com/article/gay-couple-says-otr-pizzeria-bouncer-threatened-to-throw-them-out-for-kissing-holding-hands/9126573
Short version: A gay couple held hands in a Goodfellas Pizzeria, and a bouncer ordered them to leave while another customer shouted, "This is Trump's America!" at them. A friend posted about the incident on Facebook. The pizzeria heard about it, fired at least one person involved, apologized to the couple, and asked them to return. The couple accepted the apology but said they would not come back.
I'm forced to say that the couple in question handled it badly, while the company handled it well. First, the couple should not have backed down and slunk away. They should have immediately demanded to speak to the manager and recorded the conversation on cell phone video. (I realize that not everyone is built for confrontation, but you know what? If we in the LGBT community wait for others to handle the problems for us, the problems will never be solved. So you--yes, YOU--have to handle it. So learn how.)
Second, whether they confronted the homophobic bouncer or not, once the owner contacted them and fell all over himself to apologize and beg them to return, they should have accepted the offer and returned. Otherwise, there's little incentive for the company to continue the good behavior.
Third, the couple should not have allowed the "This is Trump's America" ass to get away with it. A better response would have been either to say snap back, "This is EVERYONE'S America," or to fold a complaint against the Trumpist into a complaint against the bouncer, as in, "And that customer over there told us we don't belong in your establishment. What do you intend to do about it?"
I'm glad that Goodfellas Pizzeria handled it the way they did, and kudos to them! I will eat there, and I will recommend the place to my friends. And I hope that other LGBT people will stand up for themselves, rather than counting on someone else to do it for them.
Short version: A gay couple held hands in a Goodfellas Pizzeria, and a bouncer ordered them to leave while another customer shouted, "This is Trump's America!" at them. A friend posted about the incident on Facebook. The pizzeria heard about it, fired at least one person involved, apologized to the couple, and asked them to return. The couple accepted the apology but said they would not come back.
I'm forced to say that the couple in question handled it badly, while the company handled it well. First, the couple should not have backed down and slunk away. They should have immediately demanded to speak to the manager and recorded the conversation on cell phone video. (I realize that not everyone is built for confrontation, but you know what? If we in the LGBT community wait for others to handle the problems for us, the problems will never be solved. So you--yes, YOU--have to handle it. So learn how.)
Second, whether they confronted the homophobic bouncer or not, once the owner contacted them and fell all over himself to apologize and beg them to return, they should have accepted the offer and returned. Otherwise, there's little incentive for the company to continue the good behavior.
Third, the couple should not have allowed the "This is Trump's America" ass to get away with it. A better response would have been either to say snap back, "This is EVERYONE'S America," or to fold a complaint against the Trumpist into a complaint against the bouncer, as in, "And that customer over there told us we don't belong in your establishment. What do you intend to do about it?"
I'm glad that Goodfellas Pizzeria handled it the way they did, and kudos to them! I will eat there, and I will recommend the place to my friends. And I hope that other LGBT people will stand up for themselves, rather than counting on someone else to do it for them.
