A popular Dundee restaurant has caused an online storm after erecting a sign purporting to ban those with racist, homophobic or transphobic views.
The new sign outside Wee Mexico on Nethergate reads: “We’re back! Please do not enter if you have symptoms of Covid-19, racism, homophobia [or] transphobia.”
Although most of the reactions on social media have been positive, some have not.
One user posted: “Since when has an eatery been so judgemental? You gravitate to where you feel comfortable but does it need proclaimed like that! I’m not transphobic but I’m not a fan of GRA [Gender Recognition Act] as I support women’s rights – so that last bit would prevent me from entering! Why limit your customers.”
Meanwhile, another person wrote said: “Wow! You’d have to be really hungry to eat there.”
Others called the restaurant out for not including other forms of discrimination, such as misogyny, on its sign.
However general manager Ben Wyatt said he felt it was important to have the sign after previous incidents of discrimination at Wee Mexico.
He said: “We saw the idea online and felt it was something that reflected our values – we were not trying to make a political statement and we certainly didn’t mean to cause any offence.
“We have quite a diverse group of staff and this is something we stand for and we figured our customers would agree with it, and as the sign says if not we are not particularly keen to have them in here.
“Looking on Twitter it has gone crazy, we were not expecting such a huge response but it is a bit upsetting to see people not taking it as well as others.
“The majority have had a good reaction to it, it is only the minority that are not.
“2020 has been a crazy year with lots of debate on all sorts of issues and we wanted to spread the message that anyone is welcome here.
“Businesses shouldn’t get involved in political issues but this is against hate and bigotry towards others.
“We have had issues here before – a while back some customers complained they were being harassed based on the way they looked and we had to kick the perpetrators out straight away.
“I am a privileged white male but this does happen, especially in the hospitality industry.
“It can be between customers or towards our staff and that is something that needs more awareness.”
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