Virginia restaurant refuses service to conservative advocacy group

[oxmixmudd]

Do you agree or disagree with his actions?

Assuming he had a choice, I think it was the wrong decision. Now if they came in there and were ugly to his LGBTQ+ staff, he could have just asked them to leave.

What you clearly don't get is just how hostile some people are to LGBTQ+ people. and a lot of the time, it comes from people that identify themselves as conservative and Christian.

I've seen it. I know how ugly it can get. So there is more to this than just them not wanting to serve this group because they are Christian. They have been hated, told how evil they are, spit on, shunned, despised and so on by people that say they are Christian.

I mean - just look at what you guys write here about them every day.

[CivilDiscourse]

Assuming he had a choice, I think it was the wrong decision. Now if they came in there and were ugly to his LGBTQ+ staff, he could have just asked them to leave.

What you clearly don't get is just how hostile some people are to LGBTQ+ people. and a lot of the time, it comes from people that identify themselves as conservative and Christian.

I've seen it. I know how ugly it can get. So there is more to this than just them not wanting to serve this group because they are Christian. They have been hated, told how evil they are, spit on, shunned, despised and so on by people that say they are Christian.

I mean - just look at what you guys write here about them every day.

I write about them?

[seanD]

Assuming he had a choice, I think it was the wrong decision. Now if they came in there and were ugly to his LGBTQ+ staff, he could have just asked them to leave.

What you clearly don't get is just how hostile some people are to LGBTQ+ people. and a lot of the time, it comes from people that identify themselves as conservative and Christian.

I've seen it. I know how ugly it can get. So there is more to this than just them not wanting to serve this group because they are Christian. They have been hated, told how evil they are, spit on, shunned, despised and so on by people that say they are Christian.

I mean - just look at what you guys write here about them every day.

Bro, that is such utter hogwash and you know it is (or at least I think you do). LQBTQ is given exceptional affirmation in American society, from government, corporations, down to Hollywood and pop culture. It's shoved down the church's throat as it's celebrated in this country. In fact, it's a tiny minority of churches that reject it as the sin it plainly is.

[oxmixmudd]

So the motivation for canceling the reservation was...

However, the restaurant added, “We have always refused service to anyone for making our staff feel uncomfortable and unsafe and this was the driving force behind our decision.”

The restaurant noted that many staff members were LGBTQ or women and that it believed the Family Foundation “seeks to deprive women and LGBTQ+ persons of their basic rights in Virginia.”

Not that the rejected group did anything or said anything, but because the "LGBTQ or women" were a bunch of bigots.

As for the "unsafe" part --- it's based on "thought police" crap.

I'd add that restaurant (or any similar) to my list of "don't bother to book anything there".

That is not entirely fair on your part. While I agree a pre-emptive act was the wrong approach, the group is at least percieved as having taken stands on issues that are hostile to the two groups mentioned. To expect them not to be uncomfortable serving such a group is unrealistic. It would be pretty much the same as the local KKK booking a dinner at a restruant whose service staff was mostly african american.

[Mountain Man]

I wonder? Do you suppose it might have been because the staff there told him that group made them feel uncomfortable and unsafe?

Okay, Mr. Pedantic, I wonder what the staff's rationalization was for claiming that this group made them feel comfortable and unsafe?

[Cerebrum123]

The restaurant has a right to choose who they do and don't serve. I do think that restricting serving a person based on their views(or any other protected trait), and not on the service they want delivered is a dangerous position to take. That can easily lead to very negative consequences if accepted on a larger scale. The way the social pendulum swings means you have a high chance of being on the wrong end of that policy very easily.

[Gondwanaland]

A business denies service to an LGBTQ group/person:
The Right: Private businesses should be able to deny service to whomever they want for whatever reason they want and if you don't like it you should just take your business elsewhere and stop whining.
The Left: What an outrage! Businesses shouldn't be allowed to practice discrimination! They should have to serve everyone equally!

A business denies service to a Christian/conservative group/person:
The Right: This is an outrage! We are being persecuted and discriminated against unfairly! What an injustice!
The Left: I am 100% ok with this. In fact, I'd love to see more discrimination of this kind!

Seems like both sides are just filled to the brim with hypocrisy.

Meanwhile libertarians like myself:
No one should be forced by the government to enter into a contract of sale with any other person or party.

[Cow Poke]

That is not entirely fair on your part.

I'm shocked.

While I agree a pre-emptive act was the wrong approach, the group is at least percieved as having taken stands on issues that are hostile to the two groups mentioned. To expect them not to be uncomfortable serving such a group is unrealistic.

You left out "unsafe".

It would be pretty much the same as the local KKK booking a dinner at a restruant whose service staff was mostly african american.

No, it would not. The KKK had a history of lynching, Jim. Do you REALLY want to compare the The Family Foundation? REALLY?

[Cow Poke]

Putting aside the fact that this is undoubtedly a precursor of things to come that will get far worse, the restaurant did them a favor. Can you imagine what they could have potentially done to their food, and Godless liberals are especially amoral and nasty folks.

Yup, which is why I would rather know up front.

[Cow Poke]

I write about them?

If you don't absolutely hate Trump with a purple passion, you are one of us.

[Cow Poke]

Assuming he had a choice,

He absolutely did ---

he could have pulled his staff together and told them "we're about to have a group of people who obviously don't share our values, so here's a beautiful opportunity to show how professional and upright we are....."

Instead, he just played into the hands of the very stereotype they seem to want to avoid.

[Cow Poke]

It just amazes me how the left thinks .... starts off with Gays and Lesbians just want to be accepted and treated fairly.
Then they start adding all the other letters, even having initially included NAMBLA, until they realized that was a bridge too far.
I wouldn't be surprised if that one comes back.
So, beyond "just want to be accepted" to "we want to force YOU to accept us no matter how outlandish we can be".

Then, not just "we wanted to be respected and treated fairly", but when it's OUR turn, we want to be vindictive and judgmental and discriminatory and PETTY.

And, amazingly, there are some Christians who buy this hook, line and sinker, and help sell it.

[Diogenes]

It just amazes me how the left thinks .... starts off with Gays and Lesbians just want to be accepted and treated fairly.
Then they start adding all the other letters, even having initially included NAMBLA, until they realized that was a bridge too far.
I wouldn't be surprised if that one comes back.
So, beyond "just want to be accepted" to "we want to force YOU to accept us no matter how outlandish we can be".

Then, not just "we wanted to be respected and treated fairly", but when it's OUR turn, we want to be vindictive and judgmental and discriminatory and PETTY.

And, amazingly, there are some Christians who buy this hook, line and sinker, and help sell it.

The have been openly sympathetic towards NAMBLA since at least 1984. The ACLU even defended NAMBLA. The primary thought leaders openly wanted the decriminalisation of sex with minors in France. And yes, there's the admixing of communism.


Edit: Chick Tracts are basically the Saturday morning cartoon versions of what's actually going on.

[Cow Poke]

The have been openly sympathetic towards NAMBLA since at least 1984. The ACLU even defended NAMBLA. The primary thought leaders openly wanted the decriminalisation of sex with minors in France. And yes, there's the admixing of communism.

Yeah, we went round and round with JimL and (Shuny?) on this - had a long thread about it pre-crash, maybe.

[oxmixmudd]

Okay, Mr. Pedantic, I wonder what the staff's rationalization was for claiming that this group made them feel comfortable and unsafe?

You only wonder that because you don't understand the sorts of hostility LGBTQ+ people get from groups like the one we are talking about, and their disciples.