Indiana Pizzeria Crowdfunding Campaign Rakes In Over $500,000 Following Owner’s Anti-LGBT Comments
Campaign creator says it is a Christian reaction to strangers who “sought to destroy” the restaurant after owner declared it would not cater a gay wedding
Greg Gilman | April 3, 2015 @ 8:06 AM
Last Updated: April 3, 2015 @ 12:00 PM
Publicly declaring faith-based prejudice against gay marriage is turning into a far more profitable business model than pizza probably ever was for Memories Pizza owner Crystal O’Connor.
Since O’Connor told a local ABC affiliate her “proud Christian establishment” in Walkerton, Indiana, “would have to say no” to a gay couple asking for the restaurant to cater their wedding, a GoFundMe campaign seeking to “relieve the financial loss endured by the proprietors’ stand for faith” has raised over $524,000.
Scratch that, $537,000 following a quick refresh of the page that has been shared over 54,000 times, and attracted over 18,000 supporters willing to chip in for the cause.
The movement was started by TheBlaze TV contributor Lawrence Jones, who launched the campaign initially seeking $25,000 after appearing on Dana Loesch’s talk show on Wednesday.
“Before the televised interview, producers Rachel, Allison and George discussed the situation with Dana, myself and head writer Ben Howe. We all agreed: this family needs help to get through this assault,” Jones wrote in an update. “The intent was to help the family stave off the burdensome cost of having the media parked out front, activists tearing them down, and no customers coming in. Our goal was simply to help take one thing off this family’s plate as the strangers sought to destroy them.”
“The total just keeps going up,” Jones wrote. “Thank you for helping us do some good for this family who were scared and in hiding just 24 hours before this writing.”
Since taking her hypothetical stand against gay couples looking to impress their wedding guests with a pizza buffet, O’Connor has appeared on Fox News to set the record straight: She doesn’t hate gays.
“They are welcome in the store, anyone is welcome in the store, but it’s against our belief to condone, to cater to their wedding — we’re condoning that if we do that and that is against our religion,” she said Thursday.
“We show no hatred toward them,” she continued, but couldn’t put a “stamp of approval” on same-sex weddings.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign “horrified” by support for “a small business that gained fame for no other reason than their public admission of a willingness to discriminate against other human beings” has raised a total of $0 for an LGBT organization of its choice.
“I am horrified at the mischaracterization of the true intent of the so-called ‘religious freedom’ laws at issue in Indiana, Arkansas and many other states,” the rival, and significantly less successful campaign, reads. “People are looking for legal means to deprive other people of societal rights. These proposed laws are tools of discrimination, plain and simple.”
Pence had asked lawmakers to clarify language in the law earlier this week as businesses and sports associations canceled conventions and governments banned travel to the state, and the state enacted protections based on sexual orientation.
Indiana Pizzeria Scandal: 11 Other Fast-Food Controversies to Chew On (Photos)
Indiana-based pizzeria Memories Pizza found itself at the center of controversy this week, when it was announced that the company would not cater same-sex weddings following the passage of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The company can at least take comfort in the knowledge that it's not alone. Here are 11 other food-related scandals that left some people choking on outrage.
DiGiorno Pizza Serves a Slice of Outrage
A case of social media marketing gone wrong. DiGiorno was forced to issue an apology when it tweeted the hashtag #WhyIStayed, coupled with the message "You had pizza." A seemingly innocent tweet, until they company found out that the hashtag was actually launched in response to domestic violence, after video surfaced of football player Ray Rice punching out then-fiance Janay Palmer.
Starbucks' 'Race Together' Program
The ubiquitous coffee chain's effort to spark a dialogue about race relations in America was met with widespread criticism, probably because most of the company's customers are just trying to get their caffeine fix and go without a lecture from their baristas.
SpaghettiOs' Pearl Harbor Flap
Uh-oh, SpaghettiOs, indeed. In 2013, Campbell Soup, the company behind the circular pasta treat, issued a mea culpa after the SpaghettiOs Twitter account tweeted an image of a cartoon SpaghettiO holding an American flag with the message, "Take a moment to remember #PearlHarbor with us" on Dec. 7. Not surprisingly, the crass marketing ploy bombed with the public.
Chick-fil-A's Anti-Gay Boss
How about a side order of homophobia with your chicken sandwich? Chick-fil-A stepped into a big pile of controversy when its president Dan Cathy piped up on the subject of gay marriage, stating that "we’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage." Some people boycotted; others, unable to avoid the restaurant chain's tasty fare, swallowed their pride along with the chicken.
Papa John's Obamacare Scare
Enjoy your pizza hot, tasty and cheap? Papa John's CEO John Schnatter had some bad news for you in 2012, when he declared that the the passage of Obamacare would raise the cost of a Papa John's pizza by 11 to 14 cents. Sure, and if you find yourself shorted on your breadstick order, go ahead and blame Obama for that too.
Entenmann's Casey Anthony Twitter Goof
Sweets-maker Entenmann's hit a sour note when it tweeted the message, "Who's #notguilty about eating all the tasty treats they want?!" Unfortunately, the company was found guilty of using a hashtag associated with the controversial not-guilty verdict of Casey Anthony, who had been accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter. Oops.
Domino's Delivers ... Anti-Choice Support?
Domino's Pizza founder Thomas Monaghan's donations to pro-life groups such as the controversial Operation Rescue have left a bad taste in some consumers' mouths.
The Pizza Underground
A pizza-themed Velvet Underground tribute band? That includes former child star Macaulay Culkin? Seriously -- that's cheesy.
Krispy Kreme's Klan Kontroversy
A British franchisee of the donut company raised eyebrows in February when it launched a "KKK Wednesday" promotion, apparently unaware that "KKK" is a widely known abbreviation for white supremacy group the Ku Klux Klan.
Kentucky Fried Controversy
Not everybody needs a little KFC -- least of all PETA, which has targeted the fried-chicken chain for allegedly abusing chickens before serving them up to customers.
Starbucks' 9/11 Gaffe
Americans were a tad on edge following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Unfortunately, some of that national unease landed on Starbucks, whose poster for its "Collapse Into Cool" campaign evoked traumatic memories for some.
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When questionably nutritious eats meet questionably tasteful corporate action
Indiana-based pizzeria Memories Pizza found itself at the center of controversy this week, when it was announced that the company would not cater same-sex weddings following the passage of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The company can at least take comfort in the knowledge that it's not alone. Here are 11 other food-related scandals that left some people choking on outrage.
