A popular pizzeria in Chattanooga, Tennessee is facing massive backlash after declining to cater a same-sex wedding, citing their “personal conviction” that marriage should be between one man and one woman.
As news of the refusal went viral, the pizzeria was inundated with negative comments and reviews by pro-LGBTQ+ commenters in Tennessee and beyond.
Outrage by the Slice
Last month, an Instagram user reached out to Pizzeria Cortile on social media, asking them if they cater same-sex weddings. The pizzeria, one of the most popular in the Chattanooga area, replied that they do not, prompting massive backlash on social media, as well as scores of negative reviews on platforms like Yelp, Facebook, and Google.
“Your homophobia is really sad to see. I hope this impacts your business negatively,” one one-star review stated.
“Bad food, bad people. Don't eat here,” read another.
Some reviews even accused the pizzeria owners of being bad Christians. “Place is owned and managed by bigots,” read one review on Facebook. “Imagine it’s 2024 and you’re still living like it’s 1924. Grow up and remember the Golden Rule.”
The Restaurant Responds
With scores of negative reviews and bad buzz flooding Pizzeria Cortile’s business pages and social media, they put out a message on Facebook, clarifying their position.
“Recently we made the difficult decision not to cater a wedding due to our personal beliefs,” they wrote. “This belief comes from a place of personal conviction, one we know is not shared by everyone, and it is one we hold without judgment toward others. This decision was not intended to harm or hurt anyone, and we are sorry for the pain this has caused for people who have been a part of our community.”
The statement concluded asking pizza fans to allow them to “continue showing love to you when you come through our doors.”
Leaving Dough on the Table
Many say that any way you slice it, this is a bad business decision.
As one Reddit comment put it, “it is their choice... but a dumb one… Idk why as a business you would ever take a stance... it only harms the bottom line.. which I thought was the point of opening the business but hey who knows.”
“They probably think that they’ll get a bunch of the Bible Belt support by not supporting same-sex couples, however, it’s a college town and getting pretty progressive year by year,” said another. “Not a smart move fiscally.”
Local independent bookstore The Book & Cover was the permanent home of Pizzeria Cortile’s food truck, but recently canceled their partnership, citing the pizzeria’s anti-LGBTQ stance. “Pizzeria Cortile has recently confirmed that they implement a practice of not catering weddings for same sex couples,” the book store posted on Instagram. “This stance is not in keeping with our values as individuals or as a business.”
“It is clear we treasure and respect the queer members of our community and celebrate the rights and love that they carry,” the book store wrote. “We believe affirming the love and humanity of folks is essential to ensuring that care is felt.”
Reheated Outrage
From bakers to florists to artists, Pizzeria Cortile joins a whole host of businesses who made headlines for refusing service to same-sex couples on their wedding day based on their religious convictions. In each case, vendors stated that providing service to a queer wedding would violate their belief that marriage should only be between men and women.
There are other pizza places in Chattanooga, and critics say LGBTQ+ nearlyweds can simply contract one of them to cater their ceremony. They argue that pizza lovers are free to avoid Pizzeria Cortile altogether.
But many in the LGBTQ+ community say that isn’t the point. They say this is blatant discrimination against their community, and declining to cater a wedding on moral and religious grounds for any other minority group would be blatantly illegal.
Where does the right for Christian business owners to follow their faith end and the LGBTQ+ community’s right to not be discriminated against begin?
4 comments
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Rev. BH
Here we go again.
If you want to convey your religious convictions okay by me. Tell me all about 'em. But if you want to run a bu$ine$$, have customers and make money, keep them to yourself. Common sense.
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Robert James Ruhnke
It’s their choice, I don’t agree with it, but it doesn’t leave them free from criticism. They made the bed, they can stew in it.
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Nicholas J Page
The company is wrong and it's discrimination against the gay community.I abhor this treatment and I'm heterosexual.
As a member of the gay community, I personally wouldn’t bother to spend money in an establishment which chooses to believe that I am less than human because of who I love, but if you aren’t legally allowed to discriminate against a specific religion, then it should be illegal to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community.