Richard Hodo, Arkansas Restaurant Owner, Compares Gay Group To KKK Before Canceling Event

From Huff Po: Members of an Arkansas-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights group are outraged after a local restauranteur canceled their event, saying he does not agree with their lifestyle.

Sisters Gourmet Bistro owner Richard Hodo tells local ABC affiliate 4029 News that he opted to nix the River Valley Equality Center's fundraiser because he "doesn't support their cause."

"I called them and told them that I -- we're not going to have that at Sisters, we had no plans for that and there were no reservations to hold any kind of fundraiser or anything like that," Hodo is quoted by the news channel as saying.

But River Valley Equality Center members allege that Hodo went even further, comparing their group to the Ku Klux Klan.

"He said, 'If the KKK came to Sisters and wanted to have an event here, I would turn them down as well,'" River Valley Equality Center President Erin Fowler told 5 News KFSM/KXNW, describing the encounter as "really distressing" and a case of "open and flagrant discrimination."

Hodo did not deny the allegation, but said his words had been taken out of context. "We’ve got fine dining and this is a private club and we have the right to refuse service to anyone," he said. "I’m not gonna have a fundraiser here for that or, like I said, for the KKK or the Nazis or, you know, any group that would be a controversial group.”

According to the group's Facebook page, River Valley Equality Center members are now planning a Feb. 23 "Awareness Day" in lieu of the fundraiser.

 

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Comments

[CoG]

#1) Why would you allow them to plan their fundraiser at your venue, THEN cancel on them? Could you not have found out earlier, before the reservation was made, then given them so lameshit excuse, like already being booked?
#2) Really? The KKK? The fucking NAZIS? All this guy is doing is hanging a giant blinking neon sign over his restaurant that says "I'm a dick. Don't eat here if you're gay or care at all about equality." I suppose that's kind of win-win, as he doesn't want "those kinds of groups" in his restaurant to begin with, but sooner or later (please let it be SOONER), this guy and all the other Bull Connors out there are going to find themselves going out of business. Good fucking riddance.

[Dhamp]

This is why I stay away from advocacy groups, despite supporting their causes.

There's a lot of missing backstory here. Did the owner know the booking was for a fundraiser, rather than just a large party?

And what he said *has* been taken out of context. He's not comparing them, or their actions to the KKK, or the Nazis. What he *is* doing is comparing the impact of hosting the fundraiser at his establishment to hosting a fundraiser for the KKK.

Which, given the... lack of openmindedness normally associated with Arkansas is a fair comparison.

All he's done is invoked "No Platform".

CoG - there's a difference between accepting of something, and being seen to be advocating it. He's not refused them service. The segment clearly said that he has gay friends and customers. He's just not advocating gay rights, which is a very understandable position.

[GlimmerGirl]

Dhamp- I live in this city and I've met that guy.

He's a jerk, so I'm willing to believe this article about him.

[Dhamp]

GlimmerGirl - I can believe it. I just never trust anything in the media when it comes to portrayed intent.

[Michael Chandra]

When you can only think of the KKK and Nazis when thinking up comparable controversial groups, then yes you are putting them on that level.

[Fingers]

They're some of the largest known names in world history... if you DIDN'T think of those, I'd wonder if you hadn't finished middle school.

He's explaining the extremes here. He wouldn't back petitioning for gay rights any more than he would back the KKK or the Nazis. That's what he's meant to say. He has a right to that as well.

I don't know whether the guy booked them knowing what their meeting was for or not; I would like to think he didn't originally know what the group was about before scheduling it (if HE did) as that is simply bad business. If he found out about it and waited until the date of said reservation to deny them, I would consider that a form of hate crime since he'd only have done it to hurt someone. That isn't what the case seems to be however.

Even still, he does have a right to refuse service and he didn't suggest the group was on level with Nazis or the KKK in idealism.

[Kess]

Never ever ever take an article's words at their face value. There's likely a lot more going on here, regardless of whether or not anyone thinks he's in the wrong.

He could be a complete dick in reality, sure, but he has a point. It's his property and he has the right to boot anyone for whatever reason he wants. He could have phrased himself a lot better, but that doesn't change that fact.

[RayvenMoon]

While he has the right to refuse service he is taking the easy road out.
1. Letting them have their fundraiser is NOT advocating. Its called doing business plain and simple.
2. Anyone who claims to have friends in the GBLT community, but does not support their rights is not a real friend. They are simply an acquaintance.

Also looking at RVEC's facebook page(Feb 6th posting) paints a different picture. "Monday morning Brad, the fundraising coordinator for RVEC had a message from Sisters Bistro stating that they were unaware we were having a live band and comedians at the event so they were cancelling it."

"RVEC had been working with Sister's Bistro since December to plan our "You May Say I'm A Dreamer: A Night of Comedy and Blues" benefit. The management of Sister's Bistro was well aware of who RVEC is and what we stood for, the volume of people that we were going to be bringing in, and that we were going to have musicians and comedians."

[Skittles]

A couple of points to point out here. My cousin is black so apperantly even though I'm lilly white I can now discriminate against black people. If that doesn't sound reasonable than re-fucking think the concept that he can refuse them service because he has gay customers and friends. Frankly neither one of those scenarios makes a lick of sense.

If he does allow his buissiness to be used for fundraisers than refusing them service based on a comparison to the NAZIs or the KKK is fucking stupid. Lets see on the one hand you have a group of people that consider large sections of the population to be less than human, on the other you have a group of people that want to have equal rights. Even the most simple minded of people can tell that those two groups are fundamentally different. Also no, gay rights groups are no where near as controversial as hate groups.

If he is refusing them service because he doesn't agree with them, that is fine. However he should have done so sooner. Clearly he made a decision to act against them actively. It costs money to organize events like that especially in advertising. It is very difficult to re-schedule large events of that nature and extremely costly. I have a hard time believing that there was no malicious intent.

[Kel]

I think it was a case of left hand and right hand. When they made the original reservation with the manager the owner had no idea. He tried to save face with the live band bullshit but his reason was for the same. He does not support their lifestyle (the owners own words) and wont have their fundraiser at his place.

The comparative to the kkk is to try and make his point about supporting any controversial group.

The funny part is RVEC does not want people protesting sisters bistro they just want people to go to their event. They moved the venue and are simply asking for support for their fundraiser not a live protest.

I think if people truely support this they will let others know of the new event and the details.

[Bitch Boy]

I wonder what lawyer is going to snatch this one up...

*pulls up a law chair, grabs the popcorn and rum, and waits for the fallout to begin*

[NC Tony]

Not only did he compare an LGBT group to the KKK and the Nazis, but there's one quote that really got me:

"We’ve got fine dining"

What in the bluest of blue hells does fine dining have to do with it? What, gay people can't have fine food? That just seems out of place along with the KKK and Nazi comparison.

And how exactly is an LGBT group controversial? Or comparable to the Klan or Nazis? All LGBT people want is to be treated like, and have the same rights as heterosexuals. The Klan and Nazis KILLED PEOPLE because they didn't look, think or act like them. Big fucking difference.

[Dhamp]

NC Tony - no one is saying LGBTUA+ groups *should* be controversial, but sadly, in the USA, unlike most of the developed world, they are.

[Skittles]

@Dhamp No they really aren't controversial. The news may show them in that light but the reality is that most folks either support them or could care less.

[Evie]

While I really dislike the fact that this guy appears to be actively hateful, he really does have the right to refuse service for a fundraiser he doesn't support. If I had a restaurant and a group of Tea Partiers wanted to use my venue to raise money for themselves, I would probably say no, and that would be my right. There's a difference between denying service due to race, gender, or sexual orientation (which is illegal), and denying service because you don't agree with a cause (gay rights). His attitude totally blows and you shouldn't eat there if you support gay rights, but he benefits from the same "free country" rules as everyone else.

[Skittles]

@Evie no one is saying he shouldn't be able to refuse service. The problem is he deliberatley waited until the day before the event to cancel on them. He could have done so before they were told they could have their event there and had all the set up and advertising done.