An Arizona pizzeria is delivering a hot, fresh response to a discriminatory bill passed by the state legislature that threatens the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by letting businesses refuse to serve gay people on the basis of religious freedom.
According to the New York Daily News, Rocco's Little Chicago Pizzeria plastered a sign on its window that reads: "We reserve the right to refuse service to Arizona legislators." The action comes after Arizona legislature passed a measure last week, giving business owners the option of denying service to gays.
"Funny how just being decent is starting to seem radical these days," the restaurant commented on Facebook.
Passed by both houses, the Senate Bill 1062 is reportedly meant to prevent discrimination against religion. The law would protect discriminators from getting sued over refusing service; such incidents include a baker who was sued for his refusal to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.
The bill's sponsors, Republican Sens. Steve Yarbrough and Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, said that the bill protects the "religious liberty of Arizona citizens," but opponents believe that the bill pushes for discrimination.
"SB 1062 permits discrimination under the guise of religious freedom," Anna Tovar, state Senate Democratic Leader, said after the bill passed. "With the express consent of Republicans in this Legislature, many Arizonans will find themselves members of a separate and unequal class under this law because of their sexual orientation."
Rocco DiGrazia, owner of the Tucson pizzeria, told the Arizona Daily Star he was "appalled by the Senate passing the law," taking to Facebook to express his frustration. A post of a picture of the sign on Rocco's Facebook page currently has more than 24,000 likes.
"The sentiment is that any expansion of discrimination is going to hurt everybody and open the doors for more," DiGrazia said. Adding that several of his regular customers were gay, along with some of his waiting staff.
"Why discriminate against anybody?" he said, "I'm just trying to make some food."
Huffington Post reported that after making his feelings known on social media, one of DiGrazia's followers turned his words into a sign, printed then laminated the sign and placed it in front of DiGrazia's business.
"A customer posted the sign to my Facebook feed, so I printed it up and laminated it," owner Anthony Rocco DiGrazia told The Huffington Post. "The response has been overwhelming and almost all positive from across the globe. I just want to serve dinner and own and work in a place I'm proud of. Opening the door to government-sanctioned discrimination, regardless of why, is a huge step in the wrong direction. Thanks for all the support."
According to the Daily News, the bill has been sent to Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, who is required to either sign or veto the bill within the coming days. If Brewer vetoes the bill, the new law will not go into effect.
Same-sex marriage is legal in 18 countries in the US, including California, New York, New Mexico and Washington. Virginia recently rejected the ban on same-sex marriage, declaring it unconstitutional.
President Barack Obama originally believed in the traditional terms of marriage, stating that is should be only between heterosexual couples; but in 2012, he changed his views on same-sex unions.
