Paperno knew she'd be criticized by some people when she first beg=an offering the discount a month ago, but the level of anger aimed at her was completely unexpected. In the space of just one week, Paperno has been besieged with phone calls, mostly from homophobes, and mostly from out-of-state, who have called her every imaginable name and made threats against her.
For offering a discount to Two Mommies.
Paperno says she offered the discount to lesbian moms as a celebration of feminism and diversity, “I like to help people. Women make less money than men.” So she placed a sign, "10 percent Discount For Lesbians", on a brick wall behind the register, and has been accepting the word of lesbians who claim the discount. Paperno says that non-lesbians moms haven't had a problem with her special discount, and it wasn't until a local website, Brokelyn.com, reported the story that people began to complain.
One Richard Sol wrote on the blog: “This is blatantly discriminatory. I wish godspeed to whomever sues these sexists.” Granted, Richard's comment, while idiotic, wasn't so hurtful, but then Paperno began getting phone calls, mostly from men, who accused her of trying to get rich in the name of sin. One lovely man called her, “a fat bull dyke who needs to get f—ed.”
For giving Two mommies a discount.
But, legally, Paperno has nothing to worry about. “If she wants to offer a discount to a group she thinks is underprivileged, she’s entitled to,” said discrimination lawyer Murray Schwartz, adding that customers don’t have the same rights as employees. “Retailers can basically do whatever they want.”
Paperno says she’ll do just that: She has no plans to take the sign down. But she has made arrangements to never be alone in the store at night.
Sad sign of the times, people.
Via The Brooklyn Paper