Tennessee Shop Owner Puts Up ‘No Gays Allowed’ Sign In Opposition To SCOTUS Ruling
Millions across the United States are celebrating the Supreme Court ruling that legalizes gay marriage in all 50 states. But not everyone is happy. Many Republican politicians spoke out against the decision, and many more citizens are expressing their outrage as best they can.
One Tennessee shop owner has shocked the internet by proudly displaying a “No Gays Allowed” sign in his hardware store, claiming that it’s his right to voice his own opinion on the matter. According to the local news site WIBR, the sign was put up in direct opposition to the Supreme Court ruling and appears before every customer before they enter the store.
According to the Advocate, the sign is a simple white sheet of paper with “No Gays Allowed” written in black marker and taped to the window of the entrance.
The store is called Amyx Hardware & Roofing Supplies and is located in Grainger County, East Tennessee. The man behind the controversial “No Gays Allowed” sign is Jeff Amyx, a baptist minister who says that homosexuality is a sin according to his denomination of Christianity. The “No Gays Allowed” rule was established to keep out gay and lesbian couples from his store, because they are against his religion.
The decision to put up the “No Gays Allowed” sign came to Jeff Amyx on Monday morning. After realizing that homosexuals are actively standing up for what they believe in, the minister decided he should fight back by standing up for his own beliefs.
“They gladly stand for what they believe in, why can’t I?” said Amyx. “They believe their way is right, I believe it’s wrong.”
Amyx is very aware that putting up a sign that says “No Gays Allowed” will not be a popular decision, even in his part of the country. The tide in the United States is evidently turning in favor of acceptance towards gay and lesbian couples, but Amyx is holding strong to his beliefs despite the knowledge that it will cause a backlash.
“I’m going to take more persecution than them because I’m standing for what I believe in.”
The Tennessee store owner also claims he has no intention of taking the “No Gays Allowed” sign down any time soon.
What do you think? Is Jeff Amyx brave for defending his beliefs? Or should he be considered a bigot?
For more on LGBT rights, read about the Girl Scouts troop that returned a donation of $100,000 because the donor was transphobic.
[Image credit: WIBR]
