Bigotry

Texas Diner Boots Gay Couple, Claims It’s Because Their Legs Were Touching

Also, that burger doesn't look very good at all.
Also, that burger doesn’t look very good at all. Photo: Big Earl’s

Big Earl’s in Pittsburg, Texas, posts its rules on the door, clear as day: “Men act like men, women act like ladies. No saggy pants.” Troublemakers Collin Dewberry and Kelly Williams ate breakfast there anyway, and when the couple let their legs — two male legs — touch, the owner’s daughter showed the “fags” the door, in both senses. According to “Big” Earl Cheney, the owner, this wasn’t because of their sexual orientation, but because in his domain “a man is 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.” This says more about Cheney’s general feelings on gender and identity, however, since both men reportedly wore pants to Big Earl’s. And the slur? He’ll allow it — “She’s a young lady, didn’t know what else to say,” says Cheney.

For what it’s worth, “Big” Earl claims the couple “badgered” his daughter in the dining room of his three-year-old restaurant, adding that said badgering will be clearly visible to anyone who reviews the restaurant’s security footage, which he refuses to release.

Media coverage of the incident has resulted in dozens of social-media users criticizing the restaurant online for its alleged treatment of Dewberry and Williams, and an elaborate “explanation” from Cheney that doesn’t really explain anything.

“Earl is well versed in the Bible and Christianity, has travelled [sic] the world and is well educated,” Cheney writes, as a preface to this clarification posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page: “The quote ‘we don’t serve fags here’ was never said … the young lady said ‘We do not like fags.’”

Couple Called Gay Slur As They Left East Texas Restaurant [ABC 13]

Texas Diner Boots Gay Couple, Claims It’s Because Their Legs Were Touching