British supermarket chain, Tesco, has come under fire after one of its cashiers was overheard by a lesbian couple advising that “all gays should die alone.” Not content to leave well enough alone, the employee was then heard by a second couple to have added,”[Homosexuals] should not have babies.”
Natalie Rivans and her girlfriend told England’s Daily Mirror they were online waiting to pay when the incident occurred. “I am absolutely mortified, shocked and embarrassed at the incident,” she said. The incident was then further compounded when, in what appears to be one of the most awkward apologies, the store manager apologized but warned that being gay was a “lifestyle choice.”
In a statement, Tesco said it had apologized to the customers involved. “We work hard to make sure that everyone is welcome at Tesco and put great emphasis on celebrating diversity and ensuring that we are an inclusive place to work and shop,” a spokesman said.
Incidents like these, while reported far more frequently now, remind us that homophobia and hate speech are still widely accepted. Portland resident Adam Catanzarite was in a Portland Apple store last July seeking ear buds. When he reviewed his receipt, he saw that the clerk had replaced his email address with f@g.com. When management offered him an Apple gift card, Adam refused to be bought off. So he posted his receipt on his Facebook page causing the incident to go viral.
“So here’s a thing. I got called a f@g by an #Apple employee here in #Portland. The store manager did not do what he said he would to rectify the situation, so now I feel it is important to share the story. Being queer and having worked with queer youth, I know first-hand that this is an example of the type of #homophobic beliefs and actions that lead young people to harm themselves. This type of action is NOT OKAY, especially from a company that prides itself on being LGBTQ inclusive and welcoming.”
Mr Catanzarite was later offered a refund and was given a voucher which he gave away. Ms Rivans? Not so much.
