Cowboy State Daily
Wyoming Equality Angered at Anti-LGBTQ Shirts Sold At Wyo Biker Bar
A Cheyenne bar is facing backlash for selling T-shirts that feature threatening and offensive language.
A Cheyenne bar is facing backlash for selling T-shirts that feature threatening and offensive language.
Published
4 years agoon
By
News Release
This story first appeared on Cowboy State Daily
By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily
A Cheyenne bar is facing backlash for selling T-shirts that feature threatening and offensive language.
The Eagle’s Nest, a bar that primarily caters to motorcyclists, received much criticism on social media over the weekend when a photo of a shirt the bar sold began circulating.
The shirt features a man pointing a pistol and reads “In Wyoming, we have a cure for AIDS, we shoot f—–‘n f—–s.”
It wasn’t clear how long the bar has been selling these shirts, but pro-LGBTQ organization Wyoming Equality reached out to the Eagle’s Nest over the weekend to ask it to stop selling the shirts. The bar declined to do so.
“We hoped that they would choose to stop selling them when they realized the harm it did to the LGBTQ community and those living with AIDS,” Wyoming Equality wrote in a social media post about the shirt. “Wyoming Equality understands that…this sucks.”
The organization chose not to name the bar in its post, as it did not want the Eagle’s Nest to gain notoriety or sell more shirts. Wyoming Equality also asked people not to protest the bar, for similar reasons.
Instead, Wyoming Equality asked people to donate to it or the Wyoming AIDS Assistance if they wanted to respond to the sale of the shirts.
Wyoming Equality Executive Director Sara Burlingame made a similar post on her personal social media account over the weekend and proposed other ideas to fight back against the sale of the shirts.
“Want to make it unpopular to be a bigot?” she wrote. “Donate to Wyoming Equality or Wyoming AIDS Assistance. Put a pride flag up in your business or home. Wear one of our cool AF shirts. Pass a Hate Crime bill. Invest in queer joy and resilience. Let the haters hate in their own misery. Keep Wyoming queer and wild.”
The owner of the bar said their violent homophobic shirts are “sold out,” and are not available, according to the Cheyenne Post.
Bar owner Ray Bereziuk told The Cheyenne Post that his bar has stopped selling the shirts. He said that he is “in the bar business, not the apparel business,” and that he would not be reordering the shirts.
A woman who answered the telephone at the Eagle’s Nest on Monday declined to comment on the issue.
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edward capp
July 13, 2021 at 8:15 am
The wonderful thing about America is FREE SPEECH. This includes writing on a t-shirt. Don’t like it, don’t buy one.
Harriett Oleson
July 13, 2021 at 9:19 am
I wonder Ed if your thoughts would be different if the shirts “We shoot f—— Trump supporters”… This kind of “free speech” gets folks killed. These are serious times Ed, time for KINDNESS, TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING — NOT SIMPLE MINDED HATE– BEFORE WE DESTROY OURSELVES.
Maureen Legerski
July 13, 2021 at 12:03 pm
Harriett Oleson, Wyoming is a Trump loving state so your reference doesn’t make sense. Would have been better if you referred to liberals instead!
Harriett Oleson
July 13, 2021 at 1:19 pm
Saddens me, that my post about Hate, quickly turned into a political– liberal vs conservative diatribe. What does that say about this deeply divided country, when a discussion about hate, turns instead into right vs left. I know we will survive this divisive division as a country. America, has in fact survived worse times. My hope is that we will ALL {right or left} will soon realize that America is the most important thing.
Kathy Baker
July 13, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Harriett’s reference made perfect sense… it wasn’t about whether or not Wyoming is a red state, it was about “free speech”, & the ethical responsibility to NOT promote violence & bigotry.
edward capp
July 14, 2021 at 8:26 am
Harriett, I could care less about what someone puts on a t-shirt. Free speech is a wonderful thing. You ever heard the phrase “sticks and stones…..?”
And you mentioned Trump in your comment…that is why it turned political. Refer to your original comment to confirm.
Harriett Oleson
July 14, 2021 at 9:27 am
I know full well Ed, that I mentioned trump in my post… It was to give you a comparison because you mentioned Free Speech. So who cares what is printed on a T-Shirt??? Are You Really Serious????? Why do they print it in the first place, kinda like MAGA caps it is printed as a message for all to read.
edward capp
July 14, 2021 at 11:40 am
Yes, I am serious. I really don’t care what is printed on a t-shirt. That is the beauty of free speech. If I don’t agree what someone has to say, or what they print, I can ignore it. We are all entitled to our own opinion.
The problem is, now we have these left extremists that believe their opinion is the only one that matters and they hate you for having independent thoughts.
Harriet Oleson
July 14, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Yes Ed, I know about extremists that believe that only their opinion matters, Extremists like the trump led bullies, that defiled our Capitol building on the 6th of Shame.
edward capp
July 15, 2021 at 8:29 am
Trump was there? Leading? On which planet do you live?
Bullies? Recall 1776. Who were the bullies…Great Britain; demanding and forcing your way of life, or the people who stood up for their freedom.
Be direct and precise with your answers, please.
Harriett Oleson
July 15, 2021 at 9:43 am
That was a very disappointing weak Dodge. Ed…
edward capp
July 15, 2021 at 4:30 pm
I’m not sure what a vehicle brand has to do with our conversation…I think I lost ya there.
When lacking common sense, the truth is always disappointing. I’m sorry.
Rose Muniz
July 19, 2021 at 1:58 pm
Now Harriet would you change your mind if your children or grandchildren were gay? That message on that shirt digusting. Only perpetrates .I grew up in Cheyenne and when I go back to visit I won’t patronize.
John caproni
July 13, 2021 at 11:24 am
So the Left is always tolerant if you agree with what they say.
Scott Thomas
July 13, 2021 at 12:20 pm
Sorry-I don’t promote or practice prejudice, but I absolutely resist having ideals I don’t share shoved down my throat. I think WY is fine the way it is and certainly doesn’t need to be branded “queer and wild”. I agree with the statement that the left is tolerant, so long as you agree with their opinion.
Terry Moore
July 13, 2021 at 1:52 pm
Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson would agree 100%.
David John BELD
July 13, 2021 at 7:14 pm
Sheridan media has Great local news coverage, the Best!!!!