People Are Pissed After a Religious Couple Refused to Be Served by 'Flamboyantly Gay' Waiter

Servers have it rough, and an openly gay Massachusetts waiter experienced the worst of the job firsthand when a straight couple refused to be served by him. 

Reddit user PhiPhiAokigahara recounted the appaling story in the Tales From Your Serversubreddit.

"I serve at a well-known chain Italian restaurant and was making my rounds in my section tonight. That included greeting a two top of older white people. I pleasantly collected their drink order and let them know they can take their time with the menus and to let me know when they're ready.

I'm in the kitchen talking to a co-worker when the host comes through. 'Phiphi do you have 32?'

'Yeah, why?'

'Well...they want a new server...uhh, it's because you're gay.'

Cue my freak-out. Apparently, the moment I left the table the husband stormed to the host stand and loudly demanded a non-flamboyantly gay server because 'he's a man of God and can't be around that.'"

It only got worse from there. PhiPhiAokigahara reported the incident to his manager in hopes that the couple would be removed from the restaurant. 

"Did that happen? Nope. My manager initially gave them a stern talking to but I guess they were so polite in response my manager saw fit to not only give them full service but leave them in my section in plain sight of me despite my protests."

Not everyone in the building was so tolerant of this casual homophobia. 

"I was fortunate to have a regular in my section to watch the whole thing and her grandson (2) gave me a hug with so much enthusiasm while she glared down the homophobes." 

Still, PhiPhi didn't exactly know how to react.

"I spent the next hour in the back mostly in shock. Safe to say it ruined my night."

"I'm used to this sort of thing when I'm out but it happening at my job is brand new to me. All I can think now is that any table I greet from here on out could say that, and it's a really uncomfortable thought."

Reddit users rallied behind PhiPhi, posting words of comfort, and quickly pointed out that anti-discrimination laws could make his place of employment liable for tolerating such blatant homophobia. PhiPhi's upper management reached out to address the issue directly.

"I woke up today to a phone call from my boss. My regular called my manager, my general manager AND the district manager to tell them how absolutely infuriated she was over it. I got to listen to the manager who allowed their stay to apologise over and over again. It felt great to hear him so panicked over it all.

Next time the guests will be removed immediately when they make prejudiced remarks (like they should have been from the beginning!) But seriously, who does this?!"

A reminder to tip your servers. You never know the kind of sh*t they have to put up with.