A couple was allegedly told not to return to Big Earls restaurant because they’re gay.
Collin Dewberry and his partner Kelley ate breakfast at the Pittsburg venue in East Texas. They say after they paid, their waitress told them not to come back.
“After I paid, her countenance seemed to change drastically,” Dewberry said.
Big Earl Cheney, the owner, said the waitress is his daughter and she told them the rules, as explained on the sign on the front door: “ Welcome to Big Earl’s where men act like men, women act like ladies, no saggy pants and we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.”
“And so I laughed and I asked what do you mean?” Dewberry said. “And that’s when she said to us… ‘to put it plainly, we don’t serve fags here.’”
Cheney said he supports his daughter and doesn’t plan to discipline her for her behavior toward the couple. He alleges they were told to not return because of their actions during the meal.
“What I saw was one of them half way under the table with his legs stretched out into the other guy’s lap. And he kind of looked really possum eyed at me as they say it in East Texas, he kind of looked at me like ‘uh-oh.’”
But Dewberry said nothing inappropriate went on.
“We’re sitting on separate sides of the booth and really not even doing much talking. Because it was early in the morning and we were just sitting around waiting for our breakfast.”
He went to the city for help after the incident, and officials told him not to contact Cheney. The incident highlights the need for citywide ordinance that prevent based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and public accommodations, like Houston passed yesterday. Houston joins other Texas cities with ordinances, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso and San Antonio.
But Cheney said he doesn’t discrimination and hasn’t for two decades.
“Homosexuality, Blacks, Hispanics they all come in here — everybody comes in here to eat,” Cheney said. “I’ve served my country for over 20 years, I know what my freedoms are.”
This isn’t the first time an alleged act of discrimination has taken place in Pittsburg.
