A family-owned pizza shop in small-town Indiana has become one of the first businesses to publicly show support for the state's controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, by making sure everyone knows they would never, ever, ever -- not in a million years! -- agree to cater a same-sex wedding.
Crystal O'Connor says her family's restaurant, Memories Pizza, is most certainly a Christian business, and that while they wouldn't deny service to a same-sex couple who, say, stopped by for dinner, it would be a completely different story to help them out with their pizza-themed wedding reception.
"If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we would have to say no," O'Connor told ABC 57. "We're not discriminating against anyone, that's just our belief and anyone has the right to believe in anything."
And, because we live in a democracy, a number of concerned Americans have already completed their civic duty of rallying on Yelp to make fun of the establishment in response to O'Connor's announcement:
I had the single most horrific experience of my life!
I wanted some pizza after my klan rally so of course it was memories pizza. I know we are supposed to be anonymous and all that but whatever!
I ordered a nice hot and steamy not gay and extra mozzarella cause I only consume white cheese because it is the superior cheese. And resting on top of my pepperoni was a tooth! I was shocked, but relieved it was a white tooth. Apparently it belonged to the girl behind the counter.
I went to return it to her and she was making out with this woman and screaming it was a choice!
It seems to me this restaurant has gone downhill.
I plan to tell my klan friends about this and we will be eating our white cheese elsewhere! - Rachel F.
I realize everyone wants to vent their disgust at the anti-gay bigotry expressed by the owners, but let's remember two things:
1. No self-respecting Gay couple is going to serve pizza at their wedding, ever.
2. Only two customers have reviewed this place in the supposedly nine years since it opened. What is the point of announcing your plans to discriminate against Gay customers when you have NO customers, Gay or Straight, to speak of?
This is a transparent attempt to fly the Christian martyr "mean Gays are calling us bigots" flag in the hopes that other mouth-breathers in the area will rally to them and their crappy pizza the way Southerners rallied to Chick Fil-A. Deny them the oxygen of your outrage, and their uninspired fare will put them out of business in due course. - Michael N.
They have a great pizza. It's the intolerance special with toppings of hate, bigotry, stupidity, and old fashioned beliefs. - Jarrett J.
I came in with my boyfriend a few weeks ago for a couple of slices. They told of us the good word of Jesus's love. Which was all great until we told them we were engaged to be married, at which point they spit on us and bashed us upon the head and torso with pizza pans. They said it was all in the name of Jesus so I guess it's not all bad. I choose never to give them my business anymore, because..ya know...that's my choice. - T W.
You can't even get kale on a pizza here. Looks like I'll have to find someone else to cater my wedding. - Barrett L.
Let's not forget that Yelp allows users to upload photos, too:
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Well, as the O'Connors explained themselves, we all make choices.
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