The owners of an Indiana pizza parlor who say they can’t cater same-sex weddings are thanking God for the half-million dollars in donations they’ve received.
After a local Indiana news station aired an interview with Crystal O’Connor and her father Kevin, the Memories Pizza owners closed their doors to avoid the attacks they say they were receiving. The family said they welcome gay people into their restaurant, but couldn’t cater a same-sex wedding, and supported Gov. Mike Pence’s anti-gay “religious freedom” law.
Negative comments on social media, ugly images and remarks on the restaurant’s Yelp and Facebook pages, one person on Twitter suggesting arson, and claims of death threats all quickly plagued the small eatery.
On Wednesday night Crystal went on a Glenn Beck TV show during which right wing activist Dana Loesch revealed her team had set up a GoFundMe page to accept donations. Less than 48 hours later, that fund has grown to over a half-million dollars.
O’Connor appeared on Fox News Business Thursday evening, telling host Neil Cavuto she and her father feel blessed for the donations, which at that point were just over $200,000.
“God has blessed us for standing up for what we believe, and not denying Him,” she told him.
Crystal says she and her father “don’t hate gays,” they merely feel they cannot participate in or condone a same-sex wedding, because of their religious beliefs.
UPDATE:Â Fundraiser For Indiana Pizza Shop Owners Abruptly Ends After Reaching Nearly $850,000
And she asked the LGBT community to respect her beliefs as she respects theirs.
“All we can do is pray for them, and truly, we’re not really angry at them. We’re sad for them. Very sad.”
When asked, she told Cavuto she doesn’t really have gay friends, except “down the friend line” she knows of gay people.
She says she’s asking for mutual acceptance from the LGBT community.
“We have to accept them, and we just ask they accept us.”
Watch:
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Related:
Indiana Pizza Parlor That Won’t Cater Gay Weddings Gets $55,000 And Christian Martyr Status
Closed: Indiana Pizza Parlor That Won’t Cater Same-Sex Weddings Because, Jesus
Indiana Restaurant Owners First To Publicly Announce Support Of Anti-Gay ‘Religious Freedom’ Law
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