LG-BBQ-T Friendly
I work in a very busy pork BBQ place. A family has just sat in a booth I am serving. I introduce myself and ask if I can get them started with any drinks. It should be noted that I am a gay man and while I wouldn’t say I am overly flamboyant, the way I talk makes it obvious to most people that I am gay.
Customer: “Look, I know you’re gonna make a big deal out of this and call me bigot and whatever, but I don’t care. Truth is, I’m uncomfortable having a gay person serve me and my family tonight, so I’d like to have another server.”
Me: “Well, since you’ve been sat in my section, and we’re fully booked I’ll need to check in with my manager. I’ll go fetch her.”
My manager is a large, loud, amazing woman. She is also a Christian, although non-denominational, and has had zero moral or ethical issues with working with people of different religions and orientations. I tell my manager what the customer said, and she marches over to that table.
Manager: “[My Name] has told me what you said. Let’s not draw this out. I will not be moving you to another server’s section because of your intolerance. You can either choose to stay and be respectful customers, or we can say goodnight here and wish each other a pleasant evening.”
Customer: “So you are choosing to discriminate against Christians. So sad. You need to do better.”
Manager: “I am choosing nothing. I am giving you a choice and you are the ones choosing.”
Customer: “Look, I just can’t support them being gay. It’s against my faith so you’re choosing to go against my religion by not letting me choose my server.”
Manager: “Oh, no honey, your faith uses the same book as mine.” *Reveals her crucifix from under her shirt.* “But we all know it says a thousand other crazy things that you are choosing to ignore; like maybe the part about eating pork? You could also choose to make this one of them, but you don’t, so that’s something you’re going to have to deal with; you’re not going to make it our problem.”
The customer gets up to leave, mumbling about how it’s sad that Christians are being discriminated against in America. My manager later said:
Manager: “Funny, I’m a Christian and I feel right at home in America! Maybe it’s because I’m not an a**hole…”
