OK, I got this email from my friend Jonathan about a week ago or so... this is a REAL story that happnened to him in a New York City restaraunt. As a side note, several sources of local alternative media have chosen to contact him to do stories on the subject; if you want to get in touch with him, feel free to drop me an email and I'll let him know.

Attention: This is an official notice of a restaurant when never needs to visited by anyone! Da Nico, a restaurant on Mulberry St. in Little Italy offered a rare experience of homophobia and overall poor taste. The food is delicious, but unfortunately we witnessed something which made us all feel like vomiting...personally, for as many times as I have been out to restaurants in both NY and NJ, I have never felt so utterly enraged!!! (and honestly I am not a big "issues" person, unfortunately. It takes a lot for me to get upset.) As it goes, we all had a wonderful dinner and we really enjoying ourselves. Our problems really began when the LESBIAN couple who was accompanying us (perish the thought) gave each other a few kisses. Please bear in mind they have been dating for all of a week and a half, so they might be a little lovey-dovey...they were by no means snogging-down or anything. Well, a particularly large waiter, who was obviously the first person in his family to be standing upright, decided to tell them from across the patio that they were disgusting and should just leave...! He did not walk over to the table and privately voice his opinion to them, but rather announced it to the rest of the restaurant. After we mentioned that we found that uncalled for, he announced to our table (and once again to the other forty or so people on the patio) the we were all a bunch of "fucking faggots". Despite the utter embarrassment, we did pay our check, but did not leave a tip. I cannot express the way in which our entire evening was ruined. Other people sitting next to us said that we were stupid for even paying our check, and that they couldn't believe that we had been treated in such a manner. I would expect that kind of behavior in some back-water area, but never here in NY. Please, if you guys could do me the favor and pass this on to your friends...I don't think that it is necessary for any "fucking faggots" to spend even a nickel in Da Nico. No manager came to apologize to us...the other waiters were mortified, but that doesn't take back what was said. What it comes down to is that a waiter such as that should not be allowed to have contact to other customers, and it reflects on the poor quality of the restaurant. Sorry to bore you all with this whole story, but we were all so upset and in shock that I feel this email is necessary! Thanks for listening. Jonathan

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i'll be sure to forward comments to other authors on to them!!