A restaurant owner in Tucson has banned
lawmakers from his pizzeria in response to passage of a bill that
opponents say would allow businesses to discriminate against gays.
The measure, which states that
individuals and businesses can refuse service based on their
religious beliefs, cleared the Senate on Wednesday and the House the
following day.
“We reserve the right to refuse
service to Arizona legislators,” the sign on Rocco's Little Chicago
Pizzeria reads.
“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.”
Appearing on CNN Newsroom, House
Minority Leader Chad Campbell, a Democrat, stated that the bill was a
response to laws passed in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff which
prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender
identity.
Roughly 300 people rallied Friday in
Phoenix against the bill. The demonstrators called on Republican
Governor Jan Brewer to veto the measure. Brewer has said she will
decide whether to sign the bill next week.
(Related: Hundreds
rally against Arizona bill allowing businesses to discriminate
against gays.)