A man on TikTok said he was fired from his job at a restaurant for being gay.
Justin Olmo of Florida shared in a now-viral TikTok that he was let go from his brand new job after bringing in his boyfriend to dine with him.
The TikToker said he introduced his boyfriend to his boss and was met with obvious dissatisfaction.
"I said, ‘Oh, this is my boyfriend.'"
His boss simply replied, “Oh, ok," before walking away.
After his shift that day, Olmo called the restaurant to get his schedule for the rest of the week but was told to call back later. This occurred several times.
Finally, the creator physically went to the restaurant and was told by a manager:
“We’re so sorry, but we’re not that type of establishment.”
In his video, Olmo tearfully shared:
“I have no idea what to do. I just lost my job on my second day, literally just cause I brought my boyfriend in to eat with me."
You can watch below.
Viewers were absolutely heartbroken for Olmo.
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@justin.olmo/TikTok
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@justin.olmo/TikTok
And although Florida does not have an employment law protecting LGBTQ+ workers agains discrimination (shocker), many viewers urged the TikToker to take action as discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal on a federal level.
@justin.olmo/TikTok
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The TikToker posted a follow-up video a few days later thanking viewers for their support and updating them on his situation.
While Olmo never directly mentioned the name of the restaurant in his videos, viewers figured out that it was Sioux City Steakhouse in New Port Richey, Florida. Comments have been restricted on their social media posts and their Yelp page is "currently being monitored."
Olmo began his follow-up letting users know that the restaurant is a small establishment and he's kind of at a loss in terms of reporting the incident.
“So there’s no HR department that I can go and complain about this to."
He continued that the restaurant has come up with several excuses for his termination, including “no-call, no-show," despite Olmo's several attempts at retrieving his work schedule.
He also shared that the company accused him of setting up a GoFundMe after being fired, but Olmo insisted that is not the case.
“I haven’t set up a GoFundMe and I don’t want anyone’s money.”
You can watch the second TikTok below.
Sadly, Olmo has come to terms with the events that transpired.
“I can’t speak for everyone at the restaurant, but they are essentially doubling down and covering up for this manager who blatantly fired me because of her own personal views."
“It’s pretty sad that this still happens, but it’s to be expected, especially in Florida at this time.”
Unacceptable.
@JamesTate121/X
