(Back in 1971, I remember a family vacation road trip where we stopped to eat at a local diner that had a sign that read "We reserve the right to rtefuse service to anyone". That was pretty common back then, as restaurants didn't want to serve persons of color. Now, it appears the shoe is on the other foot, where restaurants are resuing to serve the far right bigots.)

Members of a Christian hate-group are outraged after their reservation was canceled at Metzger Bar and Butchery in Richmond, Virginia.

Last Wednesday night, members of The Family Foundation, a Christian non-profit that essentially acts as a right-wing faith-based lobbying group (without that designation), planned to host a reception for 15-20 people at the restaurant for some of its donors. But hours before the event was set to begin, they received a phone call turning them away. The restaurant’s staff found out that they were people who fight against civil rights for LGBTQ people, deny the existence of trans people, and want women to give birth against their will, and refused to serve them.

The owners explained the decision in an Instagram post:

Metzger Bar and Butchery has always prided itself on being an inclusive environment for people to dine in, In eight years of service we have very rarely refused service to anyone who wished to dine with us. Recently we refused service to a group that had booked an event with us after the owners of Metzger found out it was a group of donors to a political organization that seeks to deprive women and LGBTQ+ persons of their basic human rights in Virginia. We have always refused service to anyone for making our staff uncomfortable or unsafe and this was the driving force behind our decision. Many of our staff are women and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community. All of our staff are people with rights who deserve dignity and a safe work environment. We respect our staff’s established rights as humans and strive to create a work environment where they can do their jobs with dignity, comfort and safety.

It’s hardly unreasonable. Restaurants have every right to kick out rude customers, and by the same logic, they’re not obligated to serve people who wish to deny basic rights to the staff. The real question is why more restaurants aren’t doing the same damn thing. Bigotry shouldn’t be rewarded with service.