Now This Kind of Discrimination I am Okay With

[Commodore]

A bigoted Welsh man refused to let a barber cut his son's hair because he thought the barber was gay. So what did the barber ship do in response? They have decided to refuse service to bigots and posted a sign on their window indicating that bigots are not welcome in their establishment.

“The man came up to me at that point and said: ‘I’m not being funny but did you just say that lad’s going to cut my son’s hair’, to which I replied ‘yes’," Hughes explained. “He then said, ‘Well I assume he’s gay and I don’t want him cutting my lad’s hair so could you do it,' to which I said no because I’m gay as well.”




The man then stood up and immediately left.

The incident left the staff at Russell Paul Hairdressing shaken, and Hughes decided to take action. In order to avoid future interactions with bigoted individuals, Hughes installed this sign on the front of his store:

My favorite part of the article is this part though:

Earlier this year, a North Dakota coffee shop posted a sign that banned state House members who voted to strike down a bill intended to protect the LGBT community from discrimination from patronizing the establishment.

I love it. I love that those who continue to espouse their bigoted beliefs are slowly being made to feel unwelcome in society. I hope this continues to the point that those with bigoted beliefs completely lose any voice they may still have in society.

Link to article

 

[gay_Aleks]

There's still the Republicans so the fight has just began.

 

[Phrossack]

People live in North Dakota? There are coffee shops there? Liberal ones?

 

[Commodore]

People live in North Dakota? There are coffee shops there? Liberal ones?

Times, they are a changin'.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I remember a time when there was a sign on the front door of the Sentry Box (SF&F book/gaming store) in Calgary, stating that Conservative politicians (presumably both federal and provincial) were not welcome in the store. This was back when Brian Mulroney was Prime Minister, so it would have been in response to one of his monumentally deceitful or stupid deeds.

 

[Antilogic]

Now, now, they shouldn't refuse service to bigots. But they might not want to sit on the chairs in the gay hair cutting establishments, I hear there are built-in plugs for you know what.

And you know what is the night after they get roofied and forcibly gay-married to their stylist.

 

[Zkribbler]

Dammit, I'm an a**hole in need of a haircut. What now?

 

[Borachio]

I'm a bit confused. Who is it that thinks of themselves as bigoted, racist, homophobic, sexist or intolerant? (I mean, I am a bit bigoted but only a little bit, and I never admit to it in public. And I'd be somewhat wary of a homosexual barber, as I'm phenomenally attractive to all sorts of people - I've learned to my cost - and a refusal of an "offer" can offend some people, I've heard; even if it doesn't break their hearts and/or cause a mental breakdown. So, is it worth me taking the risk and going to have a haircut there?)

And there aren't many who think they are arseholes. (Mr Zkribbler excepted.)

 

[Farm Boy]

I'm a bit confused. Who is it that thinks of themselves as bigoted, racist, homophobic, sexist or intolerant?

The sign is simply posturing and !!edge(tm)!!

 

[Arakhor]

That barber does not how to spell "arsehole".

 

[warpus]

It would have been far better I think to list the types of people your store welcomes: People of all creeds, religions, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, etc.

Like somebody has already said, homophobes generally deny that they're homophobes, and while racists tend to be more open about their racism.. most probably would deny it as well.

It's better to be inclusive rather than try to exclude people based on labels that would be infractory on this very message board for example, even if it is clear somebody is being a racist. For instance. If someone is being a bigot, they will likely dispute that they are one, and so this message is just not going to lead to anything positive, I don't think. If I was the store owner, I would put a positive spin on it.. I think it would be a better message and would be better for business as well.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

They are openly saying that they will refuse service based on their perception of bigotry. That is what they do, so saying so on a sign is appropriate. Whether the bigot in question agrees with their perception or not isn't really an issue.

 

[Farm Boy]

Yea, but refusing service based on what is, ultimately, a shifting and relative assessment, instead of listing people who are welcome, is essentially saying "we reserve the right to capriciously refuse service to anyone." So edge, much wow.

 

[Commodore]

Yea, but refusing service based on what is, ultimately, a shifting and relative assessment, instead of listing people who are welcome, is essentially saying "we reserve the right to capriciously refuse service to anyone." So edge, much wow.

But isn't that what the religious conservatives who want to refuse service to "dem evul gayz" essentially say is the right of any business owner?

 

[Borachio]

That barber does not how to spell "arsehole".

I agree. I had to check it was actually in Wales, and not some Welsh emigré working in the US.

 

[Arakhor]

I agree. I had to check it was actually in Wales, and not some Welsh emigré working in the US.

That's exactly what I thought too.

 

[Farm Boy]

But isn't that what the religious conservatives who want to refuse service to "dem evul gayz" essentially say is the right of any business owner?

Sure. Does that make this one right? I mean, I'll stand by his right to enforce that sign if he wants(for however much a rando American's sympathy is worth) . But that doesn't make him anything other than an anti-sack-of-shat sack-of-shat, does it? I mean, I'm sure he has the same sympathetic motivations as anyone else. Everyone is the hero of their own story.

 

[aelf]

But isn't that what the religious conservatives who want to refuse service to "dem evul gayz" essentially say is the right of any business owner?

Yes, but a lot of those religious conservatives are also white, live in rural areas and aren't well-off (and maybe a bit overweight?), so...

 

[Commodore]

Sure. Does that make this one right? I mean, I'll stand by his right to enforce that sign if he wants(for however much a rando American's sympathy is worth) . But that doesn't make him anything other than an anti-sack-of-shat sack-of-shat, does it? I mean, I'm sure he has the same sympathetic motivations as anyone else. Everyone is the hero of their own story.

Well, in an ideal world, turning the tables like this would make them realize the error of their logic and possible consider a better way to move forward. Of course, we don't live in an ideal world and I expect the religious conservatives to use this as further evidence of the supposed "war on Christianity" they're always droning on about.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

People live in North Dakota? There are coffee shops there? Liberal ones?

You don't know about America's budding new petro-state?

Anyway, something can probably be said about the people who get offended by the sign's sentiment...