Tennessee Restaurant Throws Out Anti-Gay Lawmaker [View all]

[highplainsdem]

From ThinkProgress:

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/01/30/414125/tennessee-restaurant-throws-out-anti-gay-lawmaker/

A restaurant in Knoxville, Tennessee refused to serve state Sen. Stacey Campfield, the man who sponsored the state’s “don’t say gay” bill, compared homosexuality to bestiality, and most recently told Michelangelo Signorile that it’s virtually impossible to spread HIV/AIDS through heterosexual sex. “I hope that Stacy Campfield now knows what if feels like to be unfairly discriminated against,” the Bistro at the Bijou wrote on its Facebook wall on Sunday.

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That TP article links to this blog:

http://seanbraisted.blogspot.com/2012/01/customer-isnt-always-right.html

There is nothing inconsistent or incoherent about discriminating against those with power who actively discriminate against those without power. There is no difference between refusing to serve David Duke than there is Stacey Campfield. While Campfield's views may currently have more resonance among the American populace, it doesn't change the fact that he wishes discrimination against people based on who they are.

I hope Campfield was refused service for his advocacy of abhorrent beliefs, and I would hope that Nashville establishments would do the same to Stacey and the many other advocates of discrimination within the legislature. As long as the enemies of tolerance and compassion are given aid and comfort by the society at large, they will continue their evil deeds.

An update on that blog links to another blog with this post:

http://blogs.metropulse.com/the_daily_pulse/2012/01/campfield-kicked-out-of-gay-st.html

You might think, given his "Don't Say Gay" legislation, that state Sen. Stacey Campfield might stay away from eateries on Gay Street, but no, yesterday he tried to have brunch at Bistro at the Bijou. We say "tried" because owner Martha Boggs told him to leave.

"I didn't want his hate in my restaurant," Boggs said in a interview this morning. "I told him he wasn't welcome here. ... I feel like he's gone from being stupid to being dangerous, and I wanted to stand up to him."

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UPDATE: Boggs will be on Michelangelo Signorile's show on the XM OutQ channel at 2:30 to talk about denying Stacey Campfield service. Signorile hosted the interview last week in which Campfield said that straight people basically can't get AIDS. Oh, and we have contacted Campfield for comment, but we have yet to hear anything back.

Link to Boggs' Facebook post, which currently has over 1100 Likes:

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150631803994283&id=68978679282