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A waiter at an Italian restaurant used a slur toward them, but they don't want him punished, they want him to learn.
A gay couple from New York's Long Island say they want a "teachable moment" to come out of a homophobic incident at an Italian restaurant.
Craig and Marc Hollid-Ausset said a waiter at Casa Rustica in Smithtown called them "f****t" in Spanish as they were leaving the restaurant Friday night, New York City TV station WABC reports. They asked to see the owner or a manager to report the incident, but no one was available, so they posted about it on Facebook.
"We did it just to kind of create awareness and start a conversation of, Can you believe this happened still in 2019 in New York?" Marc Hollid-Ausset told WABC. "We should keep this conversation going, because clearly there's still work to be done."
The owner, Mimmo Gambino, called them Sunday to apologize, and he also posted a long message of apology on Facebook. "He seemed very sincere," Craig Hollid-Ausset said. "His apology was really heartfelt."
He offered to fire the waiter, but the couple told him they weren't out to punish anyone. "It's about a conversation and positive change, not negative consequences," Marc Hollid-Ausset said.
"It just has to be a teachable moment for everybody," Craig Hollid-Ausset added.
Two Casa Rustica workers have been suspended and will receive training on LGBTQ issues, Gambino told WABC.
The Hollid-Aussets said their experience shows the value of coming forward about discrimination. "Speak out loud, and people will be there to support you," Marc Hollid-Ausset said.
