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Big Dumb Earl's Bait House and Country Store

Want to know why many people are fighting so hard for legal protections for the LGBT community? Stories like one that was just reported out of Pittsburg, Texas, where a same-sex couple (Collin Dewberry and Kelley Williams) was told to never enter Big Earl's Bait House and Country Store again.

Supposedly, the gay couple had been "rubbing legs," yet owner Earl Cheney ("Big Earl") has refused to provide surveillance to prove his claim.

The owner went on to say, "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."

Big Earl later confessed that his daughter told the gay couple that the restaurant doesn't like "fags."

After the inevitable backlash the restaurant received due to the story, the following message was posted on their Facebook page:

"My goodness, does anyone read or study? Big Earl has spent his life in the military to defend this country and will be happy to explain the constitution to you. Earl is well versed in the Bible and Christianity, has traveled the world and is well educated. It would have been nice for the full interview to have been played in order to explain the background to what caused the incidence. The quote 'we don't serve fags here' was never said, instead, after being badgered, the young lady said 'We do not like fags'. The behavior portrayed by the young couple was simply inappropriate and would have been considered so no matter what sexual orientation."

Apparently Big Earl doesn't read or study much, for he doesn't seem too well educated about the Bible and "loving thy neighbor." But, then again, who am I to judge - right?

What may have been even more troubling than the story itself were all the comments defending Big Earl's decision. Most of these comments went something like this:

"It's his restaurant! He can do whatever he wants! That's his right! He has that freedom! Gays can find some other place to eat! He can serve or refuse service to whoever he wants! I'm sick and tired of people trying to force us to like and accept gays! Stop shoving that down are throats and just deal with the fact not everyone is going to like and accept you!"

This is exactly why we have such legal protections based on gender, race, and creed. It doesn't matter if an owner is prejudiced against women, Latinos, or Muslims - he or she can't refuse service to them on those grounds. The owner can despise Arabs or Buddhists so much so, that steam often times emanates from their scalp anytime one walks into the store. However, as difficult as it might be, the owner can't refuse service based on those prejudices. That's what the LGBT community is fighting for. Big Earl can despise homosexuals with every sorry breath he has, yet they should be afforded the right to service regardless of the man's prejudice against them. It limits the effect prejudice can have outside the home. Just imagine if many groups of people weren't legally protected under the law and service could be refused to any one of them simply based on their gender, ethnicity, creed, age, etc. Fortunately, we've moved past that, and it's only a matter of time before the Big Dumb Earl's of the world will be forced to serve the LGBT community - whether they like it or not.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/05/29/3442566/texas-anti-gay-restaurant/

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