Memories Pizza Says Yes To 840K In Donations
Memories Pizza in Indiana said no to gays but said yes to the $840,000 in donations raised in three days on a GoFundMe page that was started after the pizza shop was forced to temporarily close their doors.
Memories Pizza came under intense criticism after one the owners, Crystal O’Connor, made a statement to a local news station saying that she would decline to cater a gay wedding based on her religious beliefs.
As reported on ABC57 News, “If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we would have to say no,” O’Connor, who described Memories Pizza as”Christian establishment.”
Memories Pizza temporarily closed its doors after the Walkerton business came under intense criticism. ABC57’s Facebook page became saturated with comments discussing the comments made by O’Connor.
Critics also took to Yelp to post scathing reviews about Memories Pizza. As reported by NBC News, one reviewer threatened to “burn down the business.”
Click here for a peek at the Yelp reviews.
The GoFundMe account for Memories Pizza was set up by Lawrence Billy Jones III, a contributor for the conservative news platform The Blaze. Donations are no longer being accepted at this time. The final total on the page was $842,592.00.
The open discrimination was enforced by a a recent Indiana law called the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” The law was signed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence, who is considering a run for president in 2016. Below is a snapshot of the Indiana law.
Businesses like Apple and Angie’s List are boycotting the state in response to the law. The NCAA, which is hosting the men’s college basketball Final Four in Indianapolis, and even other states like Connecticut are banning state-paid travel to Indiana.
Even Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger commented on the law. As reported in the Christian Science Monitor, Schwarzenegger wrote a Washington Post op-ed column excoriating his own Republican Party on the issue.
“As an American, I’m incredibly concerned about what happened in Indiana this week and the threat of similar laws being passed in other states,” Mr. Schwarzenegger wrote. “As a Republican, I’m furious.”
“I know plenty of Republicans who are sensible and driven to solve problems for America. They believe in Reagan’s vision of a big tent where everyone is welcome. This message isn’t for them,” he wrote. “It is for Republicans who choose the politics of division over policies that improve the lives of all of us. It is for Republicans who have decided to neglect the next generation of voters. It is for Republicans who are fighting for laws that fly in the face of equality and freedom.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a bill Thursday clarifying that the law doesn’t allow businesses to refuse serving gay people or other minority groups.
