A Mississippi couple are in hot water online after offering a straight-couples discount at their restaurant.
Darrel and Nettie Yeager, owners of Darwell's Happiness Café, took to Facebook on March 25 to announce that any couple "who can produce a child" would get a special bonus.
They told their followers:
“If you come in within the next hour and a half as a couple who can produce a child, we’ll give you something for free.”
That is, of course, problematic on multiple levels, starting with the obvious fact that even many straight couples cannot "produce a child."
@pinknews Restaurant owners in Mississippi are facing backlash after offering a discount to “straight couples” only. In a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday 25 March, which has now since been deleted, Nettie Yeager and her husband Darwell, who own Darwell’s happiness Cafe in Long Beach, Mississippi, said: “Husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, guy and girl couple, the real kind of couple, “When you come in for the next hour and half and you are a couple — can produce a child couple — we’ll give you something free. How do you like that, folks? “Cause we don’t do the trans or the lesbians or gays. I’m sorry, but that’s down the street.” In another post, which has also now been deleted, Nettie issued an “apology”, writing: “I would like to apologise to all my friends. If I wrote or said something that offended you… I’m not perfect”. However, since then she has changed her profile and cover photos on Facebook to a sign which says: "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone". #heterosexual #restaurant #lgbtqcouples #mississippi #transrights #lgbtqia
That ridiculous definition came after much stammering on Darrel's part to define exactly what kind of couple he meant: male and female heterosexuals only. Apparently he was too afraid to just say "no gays" or whatever.
The Yeagers were more fearless, however, in their responses to the backlash that ensued—well, before they deleted them all, anyway.
In one, Nettie Yeager wrote:
“Have fun you woke lesbian… write all the bad reviews all you want…plus just remember what the Bible says about having sex with the same sex…”
Never mind what the Bible says about judging others, being a good neighbor, how everything you do to your fellow man you also do to Christ himself, etc. Why get bogged down in the details!
In another post, Darrel wrote:
“I’m completely tired of being bullied by the left. My business is not gonna falter. My business is not gonna fail. I have lots of people who will support me because of my beliefs.”
Which is pretty bold given that he's the one on the internet telling LGBTQ+ people to stay out of his restaurant. Like you started it, buddy boy!
But bullying is always in the eyes of the beholder when it comes to conservative types. It's like if "can dish it but cannot take it" were a person.
Anyway! That bravado about his business not faltering seems to have faded. They have deleted all their posts and their Facebook page along with it.
But screen captures are forever, of course, so the internet has not stopped raking Darwell's over the coals.
Anyway, we wish the Yeagers speedy healing from the bullying they are receiving in the form of *checks notes* people staying away from their business exactly as they instructed them to do.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
@BillAckman/Twitter