INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Gay Woman Says Family Dollar Cashier Refused To Serve Her Because She Is A Lesbian

By Lindsay McCane
Published on: 04:14 PST, Apr 27, 2016

Melissa Langford, a New Orleans resident, frequently stops at the local Family Dollar store to pick up her odds and ends. However, after a recent incident with one of the store’s cashiers, Melissa said she will never shop at the store again.

According to a Facebook post, shared by Langford, she was shopping at Family Dollar last week, and was waiting in line to check out when she heard the cashier talking about how much she hates gay people. Being gay herself, Langford explained how uncomfortable she started feeling.

“It started off with the cashier loudly voicing her opinion on how much she hates gay people (as I casually stand in line realizing what she’s saying).

“After five or six minutes (or at least it felt like that long) of listening to her yell and preach to each customer about how ‘gay people need to get “the f***”, they got somethin wrong in they head, *edit* that she had the right to refuse service to anyone she wants, gays are sick’ etc, I started to writhe away internally.

“I wanted to cry right then and there. In fact, I’m crying right now… cuz yall didn’t hear the hateful passion in her voice. She was so loud, so cruel, so uneducated… selfish and just outright mean.”

Eventually, Melissa spoke up and told the cashier that she was gay, and she was offended by her choice of words. That’s when, Melissa said, the cashier “flipped out,” and started screaming at her and another gentleman in front of her who was defending gay people. Langford then pulled out her cellphone to capture the rest of the incident on video. The cashier can be seen leaving her spot behind the counter, and moving to the exit door so she didn’t have to serve the two customers.

“Once I pulled out my camera, she toned it down but, as u can see, she went as far as leaving the counter and goin by the exit just to not serve my gay a**,” Langford wrote. “U can hear her say it. The conviction is all over but you get the gist of it. Im really upset. This is the worst antigay s*** ive ever had to deal with in my 34 years.”

Langford said she tried to appeal to the manager, but nothing was done. Eventually, Melissa and the other customer were waited on by another cashier, but Melissa said she still has no plans of ever returning to that Family Dollar store again.

“I think everybody’s entitled to think what they want, but as a representative of a company, like a national chain, it’s completely inappropriate and a blatant disregard for other people’s feelings,” Langford told CBS New Orleans affiliate WWL-TV.

On Monday, Family Dollar issued a statement regarding the incident.

“We take incidents like this very seriously,” the statement read. “We have a Code of Ethics in place that ensures inclusion for customers and associates and helps to ensure good customer care. The code specifically forbids unprofessional conduct and comments on sexual orientation, among other matters. Any activity that goes against this code is simply not how we expect our stores to do business. This situation is currently under investigation.”

Melissa said just hopes to get some sort of response from the company.

[Image via Tupungato/Shutterstock.com]

Share this article: Gay Woman Says Family Dollar Cashier Refused To Serve Her Because She Is A Lesbian
More from Inquisitr