A young gay couple are calling for a boycott of a Gyro shop in Chicago after the pair were asked to leave for hugging in the store.
Kendall Anderson and Peder Sevig were at Big Boy Gyros in the north side of Chicago, across from their high school, Lane Tech.
After sharing a hug, the cashier reportedly verbally assaulted them.
'Your Kind Are Not Welcome Here': Gay Couple Says They Were Kicked Out Of Big Boy Gyros For Huggingwww.youtube.com
"And we walk in there, we put our stuff down and we're just like talking and stuff and then the guy at the counter yells at our two friends who were hugging. And then he said two guys can't do that. If it was a girl and a guy, that's ok, but like not two guys and we were like all really shaken for a second," said sophomore Lyla Stern to Fox 32 Chicago.
The cashier in question denied he was an employee of Big Boy Gyros when CBS Chicago approached him.
"We're just customers," he said.
However, Lane Tech is standing behind its students.
"Dear Lane Tech Family," they said in a statement:
"Earlier today we were informed of an incident involving some of our students at Big Boy Gyros, 3541 N Western Ave. An innocent display of affection was shared by two young students which prompted a restaurant staff member to shout homophobic phrases at our students. When our students proceeded to leave, he made it a point to share that "they" (LGBT+) were not welcomed.
"As a school, we are disheartened because our students were treated with disrespect and made to feel unwelcome. As a community, we stand strong and we want to make it clear that Lane Tech does not stand for discrimination of any kind. We will not tolerate hatred and will not support an organization that promotes hatred of any kind. We support any students, staff and community members that choose to not support Big Boy Gyros. This incident will be addressed in person by Lane Tech's administration and any questions or concerns can be sent to Gabriela Escobar at Gbescobar@cps.edu."
"Pretty unanimously, like, people are not going to support Big Boys anymore," said Lane Tech senior Aster Smith.
"I'm actually pretty proud about my school's handling of it. Lane Tech, especially in recent years, has always been a very supportive institution of the students."
The boycott is ongoing.
The store is reportedly ignoring all requests for comment.