A restaurant in Massachusetts received
a one-star Yelp review because the owner had hung a small LGBT pride
flag in its front window.
“After seeing the rainbow flag in the
window, I've had it with this place and have thrown in the towel...,”
the reviewer wrote of Caffe Zia Gianna in Dorchester.
“Well, that flag says all and when
you delve deeper to see the real customer base here, it's clearly
geared and catered ONLY to those who rally behind the rainbow flag.”
“This should be considered treason
against our Nation and our Italian Heritage and against Nature and
should be punishable as a crime. At a time when the old country is
imperiled from corruption and fading family units and going broke,
here we have someone who is abandoning the sound family unit and
structure. Absolutely disgusting and unacceptable,” the reviewer
wrote.
The restaurant's owner, Nino Barbalace,
who was born in Italy, posted a screenshot of the review on Facebook.
“All are welcome at Zia Gianna, even this gentleman. We'd love to
show him some kindness from the LGBTQ community because love always
wins,” Barbalace wrote.
“We thought we were beyond that at
this point,” Tiffany Andrade, a customer, told
Boston 25.
Andrade said that she came to the cafe
on Friday to show her support.
Customers on Facebook also wrote
messages of support.
“It's unfortunate that some people
are so small minded!” wrote a customer on Facebook. “Keep it up!
You're doing a great job and what a classy response to this ignorant
jerk.”