Well, this is a backwoodsian tale of the macabre. WBIR.com reports that an East Tennessee store owner has hung “what some call a controversial sign” that expresses his feelings about same-sex marriage.
In a spidery Sharpie scrawl, the sign simply reads “No Gays Allowed.” Yeah, WBIR, some people would call that controversial. At least.
Related: Aww, Dammit! This Indiana Pizzeria Won’t Cater Your Gay Wedding
Jeff Amyx, owner of Amyx Hardware & Roofing Supplies in Grainger County, thinks the sign demonstrates that he’s a brave Christian who’s not afraid to stand up for his beliefs.
How about we take this to the next level?
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“They gladly stand for what they believe in, why can’t I?” said Amyx, who we imagine looks something this:
“They believe their way is right, I believe it’s wrong,” he continued, quite possibly over the frenetic strum of dueling banjos. “But yet I’m going to take more persecution than them because I’m standing for what I believe in.”
He currently has no plans to take the sign down. If someone within a five-mile radius of Amyx Hardware & Roofing Supplies can stop in and gently explain that we’re no longer living in the age of Jim Crow laws, perhaps he’ll come to his senses. If not, we’ll pay you $100 to take the sign down.
Keith Equality Vario
Oh Lord !
David Edman
Sadly, in Tennessee its perfectly legal for him to do this
James Miele
“You’re not our crowwwwd….No Gays Allowwwwwwed”
Ed Hamtil
How would he know if someone is gay?
Daniel-Reader
Remember that EMTs, police, and firefighters – can avoid setting foot inside this establishment if you want. Just say you were having a mancrush or a womancrush that day.
Joseph Walker
I’d just take my gay dollars to Home Depot or Lowes.
Jim Cash
Apparantly, they don’t realize, Lesbians are the hardware type! (Sorry for the stereotype; just couldn’t resist!)
Rick Fowlie
There’s nothing wrong with bangos. I like bluegrass music and I’m 100% out.
Michael Spike Vincent
and yet Republicans will say that Gay rights are not any way similar to the civil rights of the 60s.
Rodney Church
Yup, Homo-Depot will happily accept our Gay-Dollars. Then we have to hear about not supporting small busineses blah-blah………Geeez!
Andie Scott
Next will be “Closed”
Frank Mosca
I, literally, just finished reading again the story of Ruby Bridges’ walk to school in 1960. Parents kept their kids out of classes so they wouldn’t get ‘contaminated’. Wonder how many of those that day used the ‘religious’ excuse? I grew up seeing signs like this and others about keeping out you name the group. I have to wonder though, just how good this guy’s biz is right now. How profitable and exactly when his “Gofundme” page will be put up?
Jim Platt
But note we did not say GUNS just GAYS
Jarodd Washington
That’s fucked up
Voltaire Erasmus
Let’s show this guy money talks and we walk.
Atomicrob
LOL…is that really him?
Knarf Yahzie
your choice but beware or the consequences. it’s a business that your open for. Not bigotry.
Nancy Clark
Maybe you will have to start wearing a rainbow armband, similar to the Star of David one back in….hmmmm…what was that era all about. Oh, yeah, The Holocaust!
Sandy Beardsley
Ed – That is my question!!!
Anthony Howard
I say we make a line down the block full of gays to get in and browse. Never buy of course
Jon Dempsey
What a fucking idiot. Saying goodbye to 10 percent of his income stream.
Will Glitzern
A tool that owns a hardware store.
Gee Rosato
My mommies raised me to respect everyone Even if they are stupid and have ignorant opinions and they also mentioned sometimes it’s Strange how electrical fires start all the time and they never find the cause.
Gee Rosato
Chord Savage
if some body was hang no black people allowed sign on there out rage.
Randy Todd
small minded, when his business tanks maybe he can sell the sign to the next fool. just sayin
Chris L. Reynolds
How would he know or tell?unless he cruised them at his local park or Truck stop?
Miguel Anselmo
AFFF MY ASS
Joseph Pasquino
Once again stupid texas
Arlene Sklorenko
While I might not agree with the shop owner I do feel he has just as much right to freedom of speech as everyone else. That’s what this is all about isn’t it?
Jim Latshaw
His loss!!!
John P Farinhas
someone should throw bricks through all the windows!
Raúl Hernández
Yes , something to be VERY proud about . What an idiot. SMH
Danny Lehner
How will he know if they are gay? What does gay look like? Lol
Anthony Bryan Hilton
Call them and tell them Lowes and Home Depot have better prices and they don’t discriminate. That’s what I just did! I feel better now.
Kevin White
Great… This adds credibility to the next legislation to prevent all discrimination against gay people…. Now time to get off your behinds and vote….. And let people see bigotry for what it is… especially when hidden behind religion as they tried in the 50’s/60’s/70’s…/80’s/90’s/ so on.
Jean Philippe Laplagne
fools will be fools. They are only hurting themselves.
Brandon E Donovan
Hardware store owner will probably be going out of business soon. Good riddance you bigoted asshole!! The world would be a lot better off without people like you
Robert Paige
Wonderful now we have become segregated lol thats ok we don’t need your shitty tools homo depot and Lowe’s love our gay dollar’s have a bigger selection as well
danemichael
Doesn’t this hillbilly know that no gay worthy of carrying the flag would walk into his pitiful little store…Hello can you say Home Depot? Lowes? Restoration Hardware?? Ace, Tru-Value.any other store not in a place where the population far outnumbers teeth, and married relatives…wait, that’s a different Jerry Springer show.
Arlene Sklorenko
Jery, I agree. I have had many gay friends (a friend is a friend). I also have a friend who said to me that she didn’t feel that she should be called a bad person because she thinks being gay is “wrong”. Freedom of belief is a truly a matter of perspective. Putting a sign in your store window is extreme form our point of view but obviously not to the store owner.
Steve Tracewell
I will gladly drive all the way to Pixley the next time I need a ballcock! He ain’t gittin’ none of my gay dollars!
RSun
He will certainly receive outrage, but at least he has the guts to put his bigotry on display. At least the local gays, and their supporters, can avoid supporting his business. That’s why I love free speech, it makes it easier to recognize our enemies.
schwma
No doubt he’s waiting for a massive payday from a GoFundMe campaign!
Desert Boy
Hickware. Gross.
M J Martinez Crogan
he only wants a goFund me account,
M J Martinez Crogan
he only wants a goFund me account,
Tony Godorecci
D Perris Floyd-Bloxsom
D Perris Floyd-Bloxsom
Chris
Trust me, I won’t shop in that store; but then again, neither will my extended family or any of my friends. It’s called a boycott.
Michael Armbrust
Oh well, that’s ehat homo depot is for
Michael Armbrust
Oh well, that’s ehat homo depot is for
Cheryl Gumbs
his store will be going belly up in a month
Paul Gilberthorpe
It’s a hardware shop how many gays guys frequent such a shop im a gay man and a hardware shop isn’t at the top of my list of destinations lol gay men don’t do DIY lol they get a man in to sort the plumbing out he he he he
David Bolt
OK. Where is “Homo Depot” when you need them.
Anthony Canta
My gay money is as good as any straight money, and if there are some stupid ass straight folks that won’t take my gay money they are the poorer for it. There stupid loss, not mine. I think that straight folks who are not accepting of gay people are harboring hidden homosexual feelings that is expressed by rejection and hatred of gay people, example:sign above. Homophobia is truly a mental illness.
head4la
This is a simple misunderstanding. He simply wants certain peoples of Russia to know they are welcome.
http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/nogays.shtml
Victor Incerti
Hope when he gets to the Pearlie Gates of Heaven he doesn’t see a NO HARDWAREre store owners allowed!!! Must b ea miserable hating so many people!!!
brent6696
RE:Arlene Sklorenko
This is not about “free speech.” The sign is not espousing an opinion, it is barring a group of people, namely, Gays from entering a public-serving business. This is bigotry and should be illegal, as it violates the civil rights of gays. How can you be OK with this? It is the belief of people like you that allows hate speech to foster. You see this man’s hate speech and call it “free speech.” You really ought to learn the difference. What would be the reaction if it barred any other identifiable group: No women? No blacks? No Chinese? No New Yorkers? No whites? No disabled? Would any of these signs be objectionable to you? Would this just be a matter of free speech? When will you step up and stop hatred?
Mike Bull
I want to know if he has some screening system at the door, like a gay-detector. Meanwhile, of ALL the sins that have been occurring since he opened his store, why THIS SIN? What about, say, adulterers, or people who take the Lord’s name in vain, or who don’t honor their father and mother, or who may have killed, perhaps those who covet? Those are just a FEW of the TOP TEN sins that were on the stone tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain from GOD. Homosexuality didn’t even make that list. Hmmmmm.
Darryl Moir
I hope every biggot does it, they will have their stores closed, so that’s a good thing.
Cesar Fortun
I cannot get extension wigs from there!
Donna Young
No problem, don’t want to shop with ignorant people anyway. Would rather shop where where my loved ones are free to express themselves.
Dan Bryder
At least he is honest about who he doesn’t like. That is different from the cowardly bigots that hide behind their “bible”.
Justin Spanier
Hahaha that’s all I can say. Can’t argue with stupid
Jerry Edgell
I hope his business goes under….fuckem, I so fucking hate people like this.
David Cnpdx
How would he know if a person walking in the store was gay or not ? Is he asking for some sort of ID that’s identifies this ?
David Head
I could totally shop there and get away with it. ð??³ the new litmus test for “are you butch enough”
rand503
@Anthony Howard: We’ll ask him detailed questions about his product and soak up his time and expertise, and then order it from Amazon on our phones while he looks on.
Sam Oropeza
Fucking ignorant bastard bigot.
Donald DeCarlo
Let’s hang him in the window
NoCagada
He probably wouldn’t know “a gay” if he saw one…he’s too busy cornholing his goat
Alan David
sure its an old white man
Barbara Huston-Suell
3 words
DISGUSTING IGNORANT FOOL
Alvaro Ramirez
He will soon loose his business
Dan Meyers
Steven Germann
Does this surprise anyone coming from a man with one tooth who lives in East Tennessee??
Phil Burton
It’s a ruse to get bubba to donate to them because they’re probably just about under water. Hate works.
Santiago Patrocino Sánchez
Thas’t funny in so many ways the last time I was in a hardware shop most of the employs was gay men
Don Michael
Good luck with that, asshole.
Dennis Crowley
Ok, that eliminates his lesbian clientele lol
Bret Berry
I have a friend who is really good as an electrician. Love him like he’s my brother! (he IS my little brother….)
John
What makes him think gays want to come in his hardware store? Most gays I know go to Homo Depot. This is probably his passive-aggressive way of trying to drum up business so gays would come and see if they could get in and buy something.
Stu Hipwell
Amyx Hardware store !?! Oh please – we gays don’t want to shop at your dinky little hole in the wall. We prefer Lowes!
R Kevin McManus
I’d rather have somebody tell me to my face then hide behind my back what their feelings are….. This way I can choose where to spend my money then
John P. Twigg
Gurl, I don’t wanna go to your skanky old store anyway!!!
Mark David Snyder
Let’s see a sign that reads “NO BLACKS” and see how long that lasts. Pretty much the same discrimination as far as I’m concerned. What an tool…pun intended.
Nicki Carter
I didn’t know that gay people had signs on their foreheads stating that they were gay. How will he know if they are?
1finn
Who want to bet he starts a gofundme account soon….”because he is being persecuted”, but pity for him all the homophobes already gave all their money to the pizza place. Good luck loser.
Tony Godorecci
Valerie Anderson
Just terrible
Robert Arlin Brown
https://www.facebook.com/boycottamyxhardware
Kenny Jones
Poor Amyx Hardware, don’t they know “The Gays!” can shop for ALL their home hardware needs at Lowes? <3
Teddy Gingerich
He also rents Haul trucks and equipment; anyone feel like contacting them? Bet they don’t care for this.
Travis Merrill
Lowe’s and Home Depot here I come…Stupid people ….only hurting his on income flow….
1EqualityUSA
When hardware becomes flaccid.
Transiteer
Looks like a relative of Cruz. Let him be proud right up to the time he has to close his doors permanently. Maybe the hateful Christian church will give him a job cleaning toilets. He looks natural for the job.
Mary Cannard
Idiot – how is he ever going to identify them?
Daniel L Hatchett
Business promotion, that’s all.
Chris Goss
Let’s build a doorless facade to replace the front of the store, with a sign that says
“Closed!
Like the owner’s mind”
cflekken
Leave him be. Let him live and die with his ignorance. That’s okay. The believers and supporters far outnumber the dissenters.
Zenguy
@Ed Hamtil:
Don’t we all wear or wave a rainbow flag?
Stache99
and of coarse the yelp reveiws come thee way…
http://www.yelp.com/biz/amyx-metals-and-roofing-washburn?osq=Hardware+%26+Roofing+Supplies
misterhollywood
What’s so ridiculous about this hayseed is that gay people touch his life everyday – in so many ways. Of course this dude is in Texas so he’s likely going to get a lot of support from his fellow hicks. Perhaps he should worry less about gay folks and worry more about that tired, wrinkled up face. And goodness those teeth! He should pray for dental implants.
dubstepskater
@John P. Twigg: Lol… Exactly!!!
Guido Habets
http://www.naturalnews.com/050225_gay_marriage_Supreme_Court_Big_Brother.html
jks1113
@Ed Hamtil: He would attracted to him!!
Linzie Dueweke
how do they know they are gay?????…ridiculous
Billy Welsh
Marketing ploy!!
Tanya Moore
what an ignorant man. These so called Christians are anything but christain, they use the bible and mock the bible for their own twisted lifestyle
captainburrito
He should be applauded for his bravery. This way we know which businesses to avoid. It’s the ones that don’t let you know up front we should be wary of.
Dominic Mancuso
Nyroy Dixon
Sick
Kevin Uhrin
so he is the asshole who will loos his money and his shop
1EqualityUSA
This, No gays allowed” may as well have been tacked to the office door of Scalia, Alito, Roberts, and Thomas. The sentiment is the same.
Aubrey Graumann
I shop at Canadian Tire anyway, later!
Sluggo2007
I understand he makes a mean stuffed opossum and fried squirrel.
Sam Tyler
Don’t shop there. Problem solved
Glücklich
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqZaQKskP-A
Berkleyguy
No respectable gay man or lesbian woman would want to shop there in the first place. You’d think he was the only game in town. If I saw that sign I would probably laugh myself into a coma and go right on down the street to the next place that carries the items that I am needing.
Mack
I’ve toyed with the idea of building a “gaydar” machine for imbeciles like this one. Just take a car radar and sell it for $1000 and tell them it will spot gays. It’s their problem they’re so stupid.
Atldeuce
Don’t get too giddy over how supposedly gay friendly Home Depot or Lowes is. Plenty of stories suggest otherwise. In the layoffs of 2009 at Home Depot a suspiciously and disproportionately large number of “out” gays were shown the door. Also, domestic partnership benefits at Home Depot were an uphill battle and ultimately passed as a gay neutral measure by applying them to a much broader range of cohabitating adults. Former CEO, Frank Blake’s wife was general counsel of a quasi religious Habitat for Hummanity that was not gay tolerant.
I also knew many Lowes HQ employees in NC who were afraid to be out and proud there.
Both of these companies do some publicly positive things for GLBT publicity, but don’t always go so willingly into the future.
Greg
You know, the really sad thing about this is this:
After these assholes shoot themselves in the foot with this shit (too bad they didn’t shoot themselves in the head instead) and the boycotts and drop-off of business, they open up a “go-fund-me-account” and collect hundreds of thousands or perhaps even a million in some cases and get to sit back and live high on the hog……just for being a fucking bigoted asshole….nice, huh?
tusgold
guess this right wing nut put away hjs copy of the constitution