A gay couple living in Pittsburg, Texas is claiming they received discriminatory treatment at a local restaurant this week, telling KLTV they were informed by a waitress at Big Earl’s Restaurant that they could “never return” because the restaurant “doesn’t serve fags.”
Collin Dewberry and Kelly Williams say they have lived in Texas their entire lives and have never been called “fag” before. They say the discriminatory slur was hurled at them as they were leaving the restaurant after they had eaten their meal and paid. “We’ve never had that kind of hate displayed to us before,” Dewberry said.
Big Earl, the restaurant’s owner, confirmed the events to KLTV, pointing to a sign on the restaurant’s front door that essentially bars feminine gays and butch lesbians from entering the establishment. It reads: “Here at Big Earl’s we like for men to act like men and for ladies to act like ladies, so we want you to never return.”
Big Earl maintains that he has the right to refuse service to anyone who does not follow his gender conformity policy. The waitress who hurled the gay slur is apparently Big Earl’s daughter — he defends her use of “fag” by claiming Dewberry and Williams were antagonizing her and having sex under the table:
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Big Earl said it was their behavior, touching legs, that was against policy, not their sexual orientation.
“I didn’t go over there to inspect to see what he was rubbing. That’s just not appropriate in a family restaurant that has a sign on the front door that we just don’t do that here,” Earl Cheney, the restaurant owner, said.
…
“She’s a young lady, didn’t know what else to say, and they just kept on and she finally said we just don’t like fags,” he explained.
He said the men were badgering his daughter, the waitress, and it’s all on surveillance video, but he wouldn’t let KLTV see that.
When asked what he thinks a man should “act like,” Big Earl responded, “a man’s supposed to stand up and be a leader. He’s not supposed to be a woman. He’s not supposed to come in here in a dress.” To be clear, neither men in this instance were wearing a dress.
Now the rest is up to you, dear readers. Let’s make sure Big Earl’s becomes one of the highest-rated and most recommended gay bars in East Texas!
Cam
So he first claims they were having sex.
Then Claims that they were harassing his daughter….
THEN claims it’s all on surveillance……..
But refuses to provide the footage.
What is it about the right wing that every time they get caught harassing gays they try to claim that something sexual was going on. The bigots seem far more interested in gay sex than gays are.
Oh, and my favorite part? Big Earl claiming that his daughter was a Young Lady and so didn’t now any other thing to say but to call them “Fags” Yes, a bigoted women who screams insults. Quite a lady you’ve raised there sir.
DB75
Just to clear the air – this is NOT indicative of Texas. Sure, we are part of the Bible Belt and a pretty Red State. All of that is very true. However, most Texans have a live and let live attitude. As long as you mind your own business people will leave you alone.
I have faced my fair share of BS from these sorts of people, but on a whole they only represent a small fraction of people.
I have no doubts this might have occurred. Since I wasn’t there, nor ever heard of the damned place, I can’t really comment any further.
Daveliam
@Cam: I actually chuckled out loud when I read that he said his daughter is a young lady, so that’s why she used hate speech. What a douche.
My initial thought was, “Oh no, not another fake gay restaurant discrimination story”, but then dumb ass Big Earl owns right up to it. And people STILL think that we don’t need LGBT protection laws in this day and age?
TheNewEnergyDude
Or, I say email them or better yet, call them (you can google them, they come up as a bait shop and cafe).
Why? Because they deserve every bit of being called out for the kind if people they are.
And telling them how you feel over the phone gives satisfaction.
rdujetz
Contact ‘Big Earl’- [email protected]
Mykaels
I feel for these guys, I really do. I don’t even know how many times I was refused service in small town Texas. I have been kicked out of national chains like IHOP and KFC to small town eateries. It’s just part of the game down here. I moved to Austin, Texas thinking it would be better. Now only the cops call me ‘fag’, which mind you, is a BIG improvement.
It gets…better?
Cam
@TheNewEnergyDude:
Bait Shop by day Sushi bar by night? (Today’s Bait is Tomorrow’s Plate?)
john sitges
Thankfully here in Europe we have laws protecting us from this kind of behavior!
barkomatic
Just when I thought LGBT people didn’t have to move out of small areas to large cities to escape harassment anymore–I’m proven wrong in 2014.
kevzin
This is nothing new for Texas I lived there to take care of my dad after he passed I could not get out of there fast enough I grew up in CA and that is where I went back to I did have to go back for a week and that was fucking hell I will never go back there
kurt_t
@kevzin, you didn’t happen to have a parent who worked in the oil business in the ’70s, did you? My mom worked for Shell Oil in Menlo Park, CA. Shell transferred her to Houston in October, 1973. I made my way back to California in 1989. Texas was like the Babylonian Captivity for me.
flexdoc
@DB75: Actually from everything Ive seen posted it actually IS pretty indicative of Texas.
NateOcean
Well if two legs inadvertently rub up against each other constitutes “having sex”, then I must confess to having sex a half-dozen times on the crowded bus on the way to work this morning.
Paco
I shudder to think of what the waitress had the kitchen staff do to their food before it was served.
OLLI CROMWELL
@john sitges: maybe in the UK but quite not in germany. we have totally ineffective equality laws. you can discriminate against us as long as you have a reason for that e.g. religious thoughts. or go to poland, where you got stoned by hooligans if you dare to show up at a pride.
money718
@Paco: Exactly.
Stache99
@Paco: Well, looking at that dump err..restaurant I’m not sure it could be any worse.
The daughter has that c*nty look to her too.
Stache99
@Stache99: Excuse me. I meant young lady. LMAO.
shipshaper
But if Rupaul said “Don’t Serve Fags” it would be okay so why all the fuss?
Paco
@Stache99: LOL! It probably couldn’t be any worse. A place that sells both bait AND food would most likely be my last choice of restaurant within a 60 mile radius. I hope those young men have more open minded ( and clean looking) places to chose from in their area for future meals.
Cam
@shipshaper:
A little obsessed are you?
rextrek
yea yea – cause a straight person never casually pats, or brushes thier leg onto the leg of thier partner / wife / husband..nahhhhh couldn’t happen…? ((SNARK))
ingyaom
If RuPaul had said it, it would have been with love.
shipshaper
@Cam: No just trying to be consistent for the BGLT community.A word is just a word after all.
Stache99
@Paco: Yeah, this place is literally out of central casting. The only thing missing is a banjo playing and the fly’s buzzing around.
corvaspikenard
@shipshaper: Lol I thought the same thing. They should ‘own’ the word ‘fags’ and stop caring what other people say, as per the advice of RuPaul, Voice of the LGBT.
Because if these gay guys care about what people call them, they are in for a ‘hard ass road’ (or whatever it was that RuPaul said’.
LGBT36-24
Mornonic, this man shoud have proffesed more relegion. If you understand that gay hate is completely tolerable if you do it through god. Listen the hypocrates who say turn the other cheeck to sodomites obviously havent studied the 2000 years of their history starting from thier wonderful first christian Roman Emperor who killed gays so brutally you’d think they were trying to make “Jesus’ crucifiction 2.0”. But honestly you cannot have religious freedom and gay rights. We have tricked a good number of Christians into accepting the natural reality of sexuality over thier insane notions of sexuality and we have softened them enough were we are only just called fags. So I actually respect this man, because hes honest about his irrational hatred. I respect him because hes not some passive agressive person who’s going to create hate groups like “The Family Consuil” and “Conserned Christians for Morality”. These people I disrespect calling us F-gs but wrapping it up neatly as “A Terrorists threats” or “Harmful Influences for Children”. When will people realize that when I was 12 I knew I was gay, So “F-gs” are 12 year old boys so how can a child be a bad influnece on himself. Oh no Im sorry Im talking logiacally and that dosent seem to work in lala land.
SteveDenver
Why do I suspect Big Earl’s daughter knows the taste of daddy’s dick?
Desert Boy
My dream is for Tejas to secede from the USA. Just go. You won’t be missed.
Daniel-Reader
Post signs around declaring “The bible says the supernatural creature that christians worship ordered the murder of women and children, and ordered the rape of underage girls by forcibly taking them as wives from their slaughtered families. We don’t serve worshippers of a child murderering, child raping deity.”
BB45
someone should have burned the place to the ground
seaguy
Texas land of the tea party where this kind of thing is ok.
jdramsey
I just love how people pick and choose what part of the bible they want to believe. Does this guy have a sign up banning people with tattoos, adulterers, is he open on the sabbath…. and the list continues” I hope he understands the bible says God will judge him the same judgement he is putting on gay individuals. Read Matthew 7:1, 2.
I’m originally from East Texas and hearing stories like this makes me appreciate living in the North East US where the religious bigotry is not saturated like the hypocritical bible belt.
Texas is beautiful and there are many who respect others but as a whole, sadly Texas has a tumor and that can be attributed to religion. I hope the state follows through on these reports!
ChgoReason
Poor kids. Man, it must have been a truly horrible experience.
WuzUpYall
Texas started as a penal colony for criminals. What a proud history.
Lance Mullholland
Before I even OPENED this video, I was already cringing – hoping that this wasn’t in East TX. But… my sharp eye for detail had already registered familiar terrain in the background, and my worst fear was confirmed.
Although I live in the “People’s Republic of Austin” – a somewhat liberal oasis in the middle of an otherwise hostile and ignorant state, I was born & raised in East TX. And yes – this sad incident happened about two counties North of my hometown, Athens.
Sad thing is: a man (gentleman?) used to take off his hat while indoors, and opened the door for a woman (lady?) Obviously, these standards are long gone.
Were these boys wearing dresses ? Putting on make-up in this “family” establishment ? Maybe sitting with their legs crossed? I highly doubt it. They weren’t wearing hats indoors, were they?
The ultimate truth is – with a church on every corner in this part of the world, they should know the biggest sin in the Good Book (and still to this day in the Middle East) – NOT being hospitable. Earl and his tribe violate even the basics of good, Christian behavior. We won’t even go into the area of basic manners…
Lance Mullholland
@WuzUpYall: Not even remotely true. That would be Australia. Watch the video, please listen closely to Earl’s accent. NOT Australian.
reverend dr dj riz
‘we don’t serve fags’..
” well.. we don’t EAT fags ”
( with apologies to dick gregory )
tdx3fan
Personally, I would just suck it up and not return. It shouldn’t happen, but I’d rather have them hate me to my face. For all the morons bitching about how a word is just a word… it was INTENT that mattered in this and EVERY case.
LGBT36-24
@Desert Boy: The problem with that is that gay hate like that is everywhere and succession will just fuel fires in other states. We need to wait and combat it and that sad truth may be that it will be our grandchildren who enjoy the acceptance as the blacks have gotten.
doug105
@seaguy: Over on joe my god Texas GOP Bans LCR From Convention – and ya,LCR is again whining like a kicked cur over it. Maybe one day they will grow so self respect, oh who am I kidding.
doug105
@doug105:
Forget to link.
http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/2014/05/texas-gop-bans-lcr-from-convention.html#disqus_thread
DarkZephyr
@shipshaper: and @corvaspikenard: The difference is that when Rupaul says the T word she is talking about transvestites and it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with transgendered people. Ru wasn’t calling Transgendered women that word so your comparison is extremely disingenuous. Big Earl’s daughter wasn’t talking about a couple of bundles of sticks now was she? She MEANT it AS a slur and she directed it RIGHT at those gay men. Something you two seem to be delighting in. Please name ONE instance where RuPaul ever looked at a Transwoman in the face, called her the T word and said “You can’t be on drag race!”. Thanks in advance. Maybe you will teach me something about Ru that I didn’t know.
clg19672004
HA! HA! HA! Check out Yelp! They are getting it good!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/big-earls-bait-house-and-country-store-pittsburg?fsid=I-WyqDGC-eKBaMAPKHCMqg
enlightenone
@DB75: “A pretty RED state” says plenty.
ChgoReason
@clg19672004: Checked out the Yelp link you provided, and the reviews – the community and our allies are giving – are a riot! Hilarious!
wickerwood
I would encourage all gays and lesbians in east Texas to get together for a “sit in” at Big Earl’s. However, it would do nothing, but grease Big Earl’s palm.
Goforit
@clg19672004: Thank you for that link to the Yelp reviews. My blood pressure was rising trying to formulate a truly vile comment to this story. Reading the reviews about this inbred bigot and his slut of a daughter saved me from yet another heart attack.
Mezaien
That what happen when you are in Texass, white Christian, and fucked up republican state.
Sebizzar
@wickerwood: That would be good actually. They’ll have to face all their suddenly gay customers and it’s not like they can kick everyone out 🙂 And if they try, burn their restaurant down at night haha! It’s really sad that these people think they can get away with such homophobic hatred at this day and age.
JJinAus
@Mykaels: Seriously, why are you staying? If you have the means. Leave! Lots of people don’t.