Chicago high school same-sex couple Kendall Anderson and Peder Sevig allege that the cashier of the Big Boy Gyros restaurant kicked them out for hugging. Anderson said that when he hugged Sevig, the cashier said, “We can’t have two guys hugging in here.”
Anderson told Chicago’s CBS News affiliate, “And then [the cashier] said something to the effect of, ‘If it was a guy and a girl it would be OK, but we can’t allow two boys.'”
When the couple and their friends told the cashier they planned to leave, the cashier allegedly responded, “Get out. We don’t want your kind here, anyway.”
Since then, the high schoolers have been encouraging their classmates to boycott the restaurant which is near their school, Lane Tech.
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In an e-mail to parents and students, Lane Tech administrators wrote:
“Dear Lane Tech Family,
Earlier today we were informed of an incident involving some of our students at Big Boy Gyros, 3541 N Western Ave. An innocent display of affection was shared by two young students which prompted a restaurant staff member to shout homophobic phrases at our students. When our students proceeded to leave, he made it a point to share that ‘they’ (LGBT+) were not welcomed.
As a school, we are disheartened because our students were treated with disrespect and made to feel unwelcome. As a community, we stand strong and we want to make it clear that Lane Tech does not stand for discrimination of any kind. We will not tolerate hatred and will not support an organization that promotes hatred of any kind. We support any students, staff and community members that choose to not support Big Boy Gyros. This incident will be addressed in person by Lane Tech’s administration….”
Sadly, this incident is merely the most recent case of a restaurant shaming its LGBTQ customers. There are so many more examples of this kind of thing happening pretty regularly.
In December 2018, a South Carolina restaurant put a note which read “fag” into a gay customer’s takeout bag. In June 2018, a Florida restaurant called a lesbian couple “disgusting.” In August 2017, a Washington D.C. restaurant shamed a gay couple for wanting to share a sundae. In January 2017, a South Africa restaurant denied a gay couple service during their “date night” promotion. In December 2014, a London restaurant told a lesbian couple that their kisses were “inappropriate.” In May 2014, a Texas restaurant told a gay couple they “don’t serve fags.” In December 2013, a Montreal restaurant kicked out a lesbian couple for their public display of affection. In November 2013, a Georgia restaurant said it has the right to deny entry to a trans woman.
Brian
I’m shocked! Not by the story, but that Queerty actually used “allegedly” in the headline and article. Someone must have finally passed journalism 101.
iamru2
Yae sure Jan! No one talks like that!
Brian
It does seem weird that they would throw in “if it were a guy and a girl it would be ok” unless they were specifically asked that, which the story doesn’t say they did.
Kangol2
Of course you’d defend homophobes! True to form, as always.
Brian
You mean just like we did when we defended Jussie’s white Trump supporters because something in the story didn’t pass the smell test? I’m still waiting for your apology for that one.
iamru2
@ kang LOL when you have nothing else falsely accuse someone of being a FILL IN THE BLANK in order to shut down the discussion. Coward!
xanadude
Sad, when even straight buddies hug these days– why shouldn’t they? What is wrong with this world?
Tombear
The restaurant business is very competitive. If these restaurants don’t want gay people we ought to boycott all restaurants that have a reputation of discrimination against the GLBT community. Vote with your gay dollars.
Kangol2
Not surprising; if you look at this restaurant’s Yelp reviews, i.e., the ones posted BEFORE this incident allegedly occurred, you’ll see that they repeatedly receive 1s and 2s for rude, unhelpful service. So it’s not inconceivable that this happened.
That said, Chicago and Illinois have clear anti-discrimination laws, so the restaurant could be in trouble if a worker there did this.
Brian
Wait, are you defending homophobes here and saying it’s possible that the story isn’t accurate? “Not inconceivable” isn’t exactly “I believe them”.
iamru2
Even more reason to believe they made it up, they likely felt dissed or disrespected and knew this would be a good way to get back by throwing out false accusations, you’d know about that kind of thing. See your above false accusation.
Kangol2
@Brian, no I’m not “defending homophobes,” but since others as usual are, I’m saying this spot has a history of rude behavior. That’s why I began with “not surprising.” Reading is fundamental….
@iamru2, what are you blabbing about? “False” accusation? You regularly defend homophobes. Own it!
white-queer-african
Now I, for a moment, confused. Was this about a white man hugging a black man?
Or a man hugging a man?
OR a same-sex couple hugging that happens to be of opposite race?
Sadly, the great US of A has become not so great.
Trust me, we survived apartheid and bigotry in South Africa. So will our family in the USA and the world for that matter.
With love from Africa,
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Good on that school for supporting those kids!!!
Big Boy: hopefully Gay Karma will place a big “FOR RENT” sign on your bike establishment
ChiChi Man
@ Plays Well With Others: Yeah, I was impressed that the school stood by the students. That’s actual progress!
just me
on the positive side, I suppose we’re in a good place if “Queerty” had to dig up incidents from 2013…
Hdtex
Playing in your poop early this morning huh?
nitejonboy
Welll, their yelp page is closed to reviews but I left nasty reviews of their place on google and facebook and any other restaurant review site I could find online…hope the bastards go out of business.
Felecia
Do any of these businesses care that as a lesbian, I find MY lunch wanting to come back up whenever I have to see a STRAIGHT couple swapping spit and tongues..??? Since LGBT marriages are legal now, I’d say “tough sh*t, go cry in a corner” to these rude and obviously un-informed-of-the-law morons. We cannot allow some haters to forcefully push us back into a self-imposed closet because we fear reprisals for being what we are; LGBT Americans. The Supreme Court of the United States gave us the power to stand up for ourselves and COUNT among the diverse throng of citizens that makes up our nation. When we stop letting this type of crap ruin our day or the days of our children and/or grandkids, the creeps will crawl back under their rock where 1950 is alive and well in another universe, lol…you can’t please everybody all of the time, no matter what century it is. Yet it IS possible to make archaic-thinking look ridiculous, when we stand our ground and defend ourselves in situations like this. Then you leave and spend your hard-earned money elsewhere, lol….
scotty
is this 2019 or 1920? geez people just lighten up