A Canadian pride festival, and a local meat-selling business, are making headlines today.
Canmore Pride is a small festival that takes place in Alberta, in the Rocky Mountains. The 2022 gathering takes place September 15-18. It recently wrote to local businesses to ask them if they wish to sponsor or support the event.
Yesterday, it received an email from one local business owner. Rather than pledge support for a post-Pride barbecue, it offered anti-LGBTQ hatred. Shared on Twitter, it quickly went viral.
*trigger warning* – I’m livid. I just reached out to Canmore Pride to confirm this is real, and they did in fact receive this from Valbella Gourmet Foods in response to a donation request for a Pride BBQ they’re holding this September. You bet I’ll be there. pic.twitter.com/wpuVYAKO05
— Julie Van Rosendaal (@dinnerwithjulie) July 26, 2022
Sent by Jeff von Rotz, ‘Owner of Valbella Gourmet Foods’, it said: “You could not pay me to sponsor anything to do with child grooming trannys. Please keep these sick people away from the children of this community, you should be disgusted with yourselves.
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“I’m sure there’s some woke organization mentally ill enough to help you with your event, but it won’t be Valbella’s.”
Canmore Pride confirmed it has received a vile email from someone it approached for sponsorship for a barbecue.
Related: 10 gay escapes to explore in Canada now that it’s reopened its borders
Valbella quickly apologizes and pledges to do better
Valbella Gourmet Food specializes in meat products, such as sausages and ham. It has been running since 1978 and appears to be a family-run business, set up by Walter and Leonie von Rotz.
Within hours of news of the email emerging, it issued a fulsome apology on its social media channels.
“The owners and leadership of Valbella Gourmet Foods expresses its deepest apologies to the Canmore LBGTQ+ community for an intolerant email that was sent earlier today by one of our former team members.
“The individual responsible has been removed from the company and its operations.
“Please accept our sincerest apologies to the entire community and know that the words of the one person do not reflect the opinions of the many people who work as part of the Valbella team. On the contrary, we strive to make our company an inclusive workplace where all are welcome.
“We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused to the LGBTQ+ community.”
It went on to pledge to advance “the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our business and the community.”
The message was signed by Chantal von Rotz of Valbella Gourmet Foods.
Apology does not go down well
Given the original email came from someone claiming to be the “owner” of the company, many questioned exactly what has happened to Jeff von Rotz. It seems his parents opened the store. Some online commentators say Chantal is his sister.
“(…) Our former team member”
Honey, he’s listed on your #Alberta agri govt registry as the PRESIDENT, how can you just “fire” him?!🤔🤨🤔🤨https://t.co/OvozXptH0H#JeffVonRotz #Valbella #Homophobe #Transphobe #Canmore#CanmorePride #Pride #TransIsBeautiful #TransPride pic.twitter.com/lhvMAzWDd8
— Black Lives Matter #BLM (@guiltyx) July 26, 2022
On Facebook, the company’s apology has prompted over 1,700 comments in the space of a few hours.
“Not sure how the ‘owners and leadership’ can possibly express deepest apologies when it was an owner who sent that vile, disgusting email,” said one comment. “I’d literally never heard of you folks before but you can just bet I’ll be checking if any business I frequent is a distributor of your products.”
It seems other businesses are already taking note. Well-known Alberta arts hub, the Banff Centre, said it was terminating its relationship with Valbella Gourmet Foods.
Following the recent communications that were made public within the Bow Valley community and Valbella Gourmet Foods today, Banff Centre has chosen to remove all Valbella products from company operations and will seize any business relations.
— Banff Centre (@banffcentre) July 26, 2022
Related: Postmates marks Pride month with bottom-friendly food menus
Canmore Pride responds
On Instagram, Canmore Pride said it worked hard with other LGBTQ-friendly organizations to make Bow Valley more inclusive.
“Since we have started a Diversity and Inclusion Training program for local businesses this is the only hateful comment we have received from a business directly. But it just goes to show there is more education needed.”
In a statement, Kaitlin Kealey, the co-chair for Canmore Pride, said, “The transphobic reply we received from a local business today further reinforces the importance of education in our community to keep members of our community safe.
“We encourage members of our community to take care of themselves in this time and know they are loved and supported by many.”
Queerty has contacted Valbella Gourmet Food for further comment. We will update this story if we receive a response.
Vince
At this point seems to me that the owner should issue an apology. Not the company PR bureaucrats.
jcool
i guess tucker carlson and fox news air in canada
Cam
Not sure how you can remove an owner from the business.
abfab
Tony Soprano would know.
Fname Optional Lname
lol abfab If I remember correctly Tony was one of the only “family members” who seemed to have a more progressive attitude when another “family member” was outed after being seen in a gay bar.
If Tony Saprano gets it that should spark an ounce of hope that eventually all these other sociopaths will follow suit.
Cam
After a quick lookup…
“”Late Tuesday evening, Chantal clarified that the “owners of Valbella Gourmet Foods are the founders, Walter and Leonie von Rotz” and that “Jeff von Rotz, while he used the title, is not an owner.
“He held the official title of President. Effective July 26, 2022, he was terminated from his employment and no longer has any role or interest in the business.”””
abfab
Toxic cold cuts! 1/2 off sale GOING ON NOW!
Vince
Ha. Looks like this is more like the last straw and used it as an excuse to shit can his ass.
abfab
”I WOULD ADDRESS YOU BY YOUR NAME BUT I DON’T KNOW IT BECAUSE ALL YOU SIGNED WAS K”
That’s her name, proud boy!
Jim
I’m sure the e-mail was signed. Whose signature was it.
ShiningSex
a business that is anti-LGBT only hurts themselves by the ignorance but also financial when there’s a lot of disposable income in our community. Too bad.
BiggieB
What was the original post? When I click on the link it indicates that it has been removed due to violating Twitter’s standards.
Brian
The company still doesn’t get it! Their statement wasn’t merely “intolerant.” It included absurd conspiracy theories that are **false.** Their statement was a lie. An especially idiotic lie. Like “Jewish space lasers” caliber ridiculousness. They should own up to it.
nm4047
so did they donate money or not?
Dansktex
If that apology were a sincere one, in addition to saying that they apologized because what was said was not represent their true feelings, it would have added that the company was donating a given amount of food to the project.
SantaFeJack
Two thoughts: The store should make a donation. Second: The Pride group might gain a lot of goodwill by accepting the apology and asking the LGBTQ community to cease the attacks (publicity as well as financial). One misguided critic at that business should not punish the business and its employees. I understand that revenge is sweet, but…
johncp56
To late you showed us who you really are, hateful