"Gay Hair Salon Owner Installs Anti-Bigotry Sign"

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

Title and photo taken from the Huffington Post article.  Readable HERE.

 

The gist of it: Some guy wouldn't allow a gay man to cut his son's hair.  And yes: Because the man was gay.  Since, as we all know, having your hair cut by a homosexual transforms you into a homosexual as well; that's how they increase in number.*

 

In response, the salon made the following sign:

Though I hope this doesn't hurt their business; there are still plenty of people who fit one or several of those descriptions.

 

* Sarcasm.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Ziggy and Angelbaby

[Banul 3,831]

 Since, as we all know, having your hair cut by a homosexual transforms you into a homosexual as well; that's how they increase in number.

 

Sometimes I wish I was gay so that I could have the gay inducing mind control powers that all homosexuals apparently have.

[NonbinaryDuck 362]

(You scared me until I saw the asterisk and I saw the following description. Lol.) Also wow. We've gone so pathetic that we think homosexuality is a disease. "Don't touch him honey-- he's a homosexual!", "Oh no, Jeffrey! I don't want to be a lesbian!". That's literally what they sound like. I know people who won't even let their kids watch LGBTQ characters in TV shows because apparently watching them converts your identity. Like how owning furniture turns you into a damn couch. 

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

Sometimes I wish I was gay so that I could have the gay inducing mind control powers that all homosexuals apparently have.

That would be pretty sweet.  Though, as some would have you believe, anyone at all might suddenly become homosexual.  As it is entirely a matter of choice.*

 

* More sarcasm.

[A Black Circle 1,586]

(You scared me until I saw the asterisk and I saw the following description. Lol.) Also wow. We've gone so pathetic that we think homosexuality is a disease. "Don't touch him honey-- he's a homosexual!", "Oh no, Jeffrey! I don't want to be a lesbian!". That's literally what they sound like. I know people who won't even let their kids watch LGBTQ characters in TV shows because apparently watching them converts your identity. Like how owning furniture turns you into a damn couch. 

Or like thinking you're a girl makes you a girl

 

I really don't mind this sign. A bit intrusive in my opinion.

 

Changed my mind, see my post below.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Flinchel

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

I know people who won't even let their kids watch LGBTQ characters in TV shows because apparently watching them converts your identity. Like how owning furniture turns you into a damn couch. 

I couldn't possibly enjoy that couch analogy more. xD

[Yamato 1,348]

owning furniture turns you into a damn couch

 

Happened to my cousin as a matter of fact. Now he's an Ashley loveseat. 

 

Of course, this sign could never fly where I live. Everyone here's at least two of those.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Chrysler

[GrauWitz 1,010]

Hahahahaha, this sign is awesome! I salute the person that put that sign up! Bigots do not deserve to be served, no matter what! You just gotta love how the father didn't let the gay man cut his son's hair, as if he thinks homosexuality is a contagious disease or some shit like that. Even if I wasn't gay, I would have done the same! I would've put up a sign condemning anyone who is a hateful, low-life bigot!

[A Black Circle 1,586]

Actually, I've changed my mind. It goes against free service. Let the racists and homophobes in.

[The Awesome One 1,315]

Whoever that parent was is just dumb. When will we learn to tolerate?

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

Lol, I gotta admit, that's pretty awesome. I'd go to this place to get a haircut because he seems like he'd be a pretty cool guy.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Admiral Regulus

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

Happened to my cousin as a matter of fact. Now he's an Ashley loveseat. 

 

Of course, this sign could never fly where I live. Everyone here's at least two of those.

Everyone where you live is at least two couches? Man, I'm super confused now....

 

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

Actually, I've changed my mind. It goes against free service. Let the racists and homophobes in.

It is sometimes difficult to tell when a person is either of those things (or both).  Some bigots actually have the sense to keep their bigotry largely to themselves, and some bigots aren't fully aware that they are bigots at all.  So the salon might still serve them without knowing.  The guy in the article made it pretty plain how he felt, though.

[Yamato 1,348]

Everyone where you live is at least two couches? 

Well, just about everyone owns furniture, and as I'm sure you're well aware, couches reproduce by mitosis. Since the spawn is an exact clone of the parent, there often is more than one copy of everyone lying about.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Chrysler

[Guest]

Hah, that sign is gold. Right on! 

[Dark Qiviut 22,415]

 

 

Though I hope this doesn't hurt their business; there are still plenty of people who fit one or several of those descriptions.

I highly doubt it. With the exception of one age group, the LGBT community has been embraced more and more over the past several years.

 

I saw this yesterday, and I had a very huge grin on my face. Bigots deserve to be called out for who they truly are: bigots. That homophobic dad's going to eventually learn that someday that bigotry like homophobia won't be tolerated. Apparently, he learned that the hard way by getting his attitude called out through this sign.

 

Good for the barber shop for keeping their customers accountable.

[PoisonClaw 8,164]

I swear I've seen that sign somewhere before...

 

I've never understood the idea of not wanting to be served by someone of a different sexuality. I thought you were supposed to grow out of being afraid of "icky cooties", but apparently not. 

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

Gays can refuse their services to bigots but bigots can't refuse their services to gays? It's still hypocrisy. 

I mean you can change opinions but you can't change sexuality, but that doesn't mean people are willing to.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

Gays can refuse their services to bigots but bigots can't refuse their services to gays? It's still hypocrisy. 

I mean you can change opinions but you can't change sexuality, but that doesn't mean people are willing to.

The key difference being that bigots are, as the sign included, a**holes.  It isn't discriminatory to refuse your services to an a**hole that probably doesn't want said services anyhow.

 

Also, fairly certain they were making a point and standing up to bigotry more than they were literally, legally refusing to serve certain customers.  Perhaps there'd be more of a stink if someone were to dramatically wag their finger in the air and say, "Well I, myself, am a tremendous sexist and / or racist and / or homophobe, and I absolutely demand that my hair be cut by a homosexual this very instant!"

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

The key difference being that bigots are, as the sign included, a**holes.  It isn't discriminatory to refuse your services to an a**hole that probably doesn't want said services anyhow.

 

Also, fairly certain they were making a point and standing up to bigotry more than they were literally, legally refusing to serve certain customers.  Perhaps there'd be more of a stink if someone were to dramatically wag their finger in the air and say, "Well I, myself, am a tremendous sexist and / or racist and / or homophobe, and I absolutely demand that my hair be cut by a homosexual this very instant!"

You're still refusing someone service because of their viewpoint. That doesn't seem just to me. 

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

To be quite honest, while I understand the sign was meant more to make a statement than as an enforced rule, it can very easily come across as bigoted itself. Racism's generally pretty cut-and-dried, but what qualifies as "sexist" and "homophobic" is vague at best, and in my personal experience (which I understand doesn't necessarily reflect on the entire pro-LGBT or feminist community) most of the people who accuse others of being sexist or homophobic primarily make such accusations of anyone whose opinion they find the least bit unpleasant to them personally. To use two purely made-up and admittedly extreme examples,

 

1. Jim gets accused of being sexist when he says he thinks men and women, though equal in value, are general better suited to different things.

2. Sally gets accused of being homophobic when she calmly points to passages in the Bible that make it clear that the Bible regards homosexual intercourse as sinful.

 

These are not uncommon notions of what is meant by "sexist" and "homophobic," as they're often used more as insults than legitimate accusations. So the message the sign sends to people who don't support gay marriage or who do believe men and women are different (whether the shopkeeper intended this message or not) is, "You have an opinion that is different than mine, so you're an asshole and I don't want your business." It's not somehow less bigoted when it's the majority opinion that's doing it.

 

Of course, I also realize that message may not have been the shopkeeper's intent, but in that case, the sign is merely rude and inconsiderate. Sure, it may have come about because of someone else's rudeness and inconsiderateness, but I've personally never felt that rudeness justifies rudeness.

[Moniker 93]

Oh my gosh yes! YESS!! That is hilarious!

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

You're still refusing someone service because of their viewpoint. That doesn't seem just to me. 

It is better to be perceived a hypocrite than it is to be a bigot.  And really: It was the bigot who was refusing to be a patron on ridiculous grounds.  His child needed a haircut.  He wouldn't permit a gay man to cut his child's hair.  Either of the gay men there might have cut his child's hair had he not refused.  But then there might be no sign at all.

To be quite honest, while I understand the sign was meant more to make a statement than as an enforced rule, it can very easily come across as bigoted itself. Racism's generally pretty cut-and-dried, but what qualifies as "sexist" and "homophobic" is vague at best, and in my personal experience (which I understand doesn't necessarily reflect on the entire pro-LGBT or feminist community) most of the people who accuse others of being sexist or homophobic primarily make such accusations of anyone whose opinion they find the least bit unpleasant to them personally. To use two purely made-up and admittedly extreme examples,

 

1. Jim gets accused of being sexist when he says he thinks men and women, though equal in value, are general better suited to different things.

2. Sally gets accused of being homophobic when she calmly points to passages in the Bible that make it clear that the Bible regards homosexual intercourse as sinful.

 

These are not uncommon notions of what is meant by "sexist" and "homophobic," as they're often used more as insults than legitimate accusations. So the message the sign sends to people who don't support gay marriage or who do believe men and women are different (whether the shopkeeper intended this message or not) is, "You have an opinion that is different than mine, so you're an asshole and I don't want your business." It's not somehow less bigoted when it's the majority opinion that's doing it.

 

Of course, I also realize that message may not have been the shopkeeper's intent, but in that case, the sign is merely rude and inconsiderate. Sure, it may have come about because of someone else's rudeness and inconsiderateness, but I've personally never felt that rudeness justifies rudeness.

You're seriously going out of your way here.  It's no secret what inspired the sign.  The behavior of the man who refused to allow his son's hair to be cut by a homosexual was homophobic.  Do you disagree on that point?  If not, I don't think your "what ifs" and any and all personal definitions of "sexist" and "homophobic" necessarily apply.

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

It is better to be perceived a hypocrite than it is to be a bigot.  And really: It was the bigot who was refusing to be a patron on ridiculous grounds.  His child needed a haircut.  He wouldn't permit a gay man to cut his child's hair.  Either of the gay men there might have cut his child's hair had he not refused.  But then there might be no sign at all.

I'm talking about in any case, not just that one guy who made a huge deal.

And honestly, both are pretty bad - neither worse than the other. Hypocrisy is toxic and plagues our government. As do bigots. It's two things this whole world could do without.

[A Black Circle 1,586]

You're seriously going out of your way here.  It's no secret what inspired the sign.  The behavior of the man who refused to allow his son's hair to be cut by a homosexual was homophobic.  Do you disagree on that point?  If not, I don't think your "what ifs" and any and all personal definitions of "sexist" and "homophobic" necessarily apply.

It's not about what caused the sign/whatever it is to exist, it's about the sign itself and how it flies in the face of free service.