Protesters
Descend on Kentucky McDonald's

A McDonald's restaurant in Louisville, Ky., at which gay customers were harassed and insulted for their orientation was visited by dozens of protesters on Friday.

Carrying signs saying "Homophobia Served Here" and "NOT Lovin' It," the protesters called for McDonald's to treat all customers fairly. The group was responding to an alleged incident on July 26 in which two men -- Ryan Marlatt and Teddy Eggers -- and three other friends were waiting for their food at McDonald's when they claim employees referred to them as "faggots." Marlatt and Eggers asked for the cost of their meals to be refunded by a manager, but the men say the manager refused. Following the incident, Marlatt and Eggers said they tried unsuccessfully to contact the restaurant's general manager and the McDonald's corporate office in Illinois.

"For any business to treat its gay customers this way is beyond the pale," said Becca O'Neill, one of the organizers of the protest, in a release. "All we want is for all customers, gay and straight, to be treated with decency and respect. Nobody should fork over their hard-earned money for a meal and be treated this way."

Marlatt and Eggers traveled from their home from Indianapolis to join the demonstration. "We are very moved by all of your support today," Eggers told the crowd. "When my friends and I were here at this McDonald's in July, we experienced the worst sort of verbal abuse and hostility. Today we're seeing a much better side of Louisville -- a side that won't stand for hate and discrimination."

This is the second piece of gay-related bad PR for the fast-food chain recently. According to the virulently antigay American Family Association, McDonald's caved into its demand that a company executive resign from a gay and lesbian business organization. (Neal Broverman, The Advocate)