An Indiana pizza shop that supports the religious freedom act and refuses to cater gay weddings shut down on Wednesday night after receiving a flood of threats.
The owners of Memories Pizza started the furor by declaring in a radio interview that they would deny service to potential customers for religious reasons under the new state law,
Mediaite reported.
"If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we would have to say no," Crystal O'Connor, daughter of owner Kevin O'Connor, told local
ABC Affiliate WBND.
Her controversial comments immediately caused a backlash with critics and customers, many from out of state, giving it negative reviews on Yelp while protesting the family's anti-gay stance position,
The Hill reported.
The family-owned restaurant was also bombarded with threatening phone calls and angry comments on Facebook, and feared that they were receiving fake phone orders for pizza.
Kevin O'Connor, a father of nine, told Fox News, "Because I don't believe in something that they want, they see fit to be angry about it. It's just been ugly. I don't know what to call it."
O'Connor said he closed down the restaurant in Walkerton because the family could not tell which phone orders were real, and he said that he was not sure when or if his establishment will reopen.
The family, which has owned the restaurant for nine years, calls it a Christian establishment and says they are proud to own a business that reflects their faith.
"We're not discriminating against anyone, that's just our belief and anyone has the right to believe in anything," Crystal O'Connor said.
The O'Connors said they would not refuse service in their restaurant to a gay couple, but they do not agree with gay marriage and would not provide service for such a wedding.
They made the inflammatory comments just hours after Indiana Gov. Mike Pence agreed to clarify the new law to say it does not allow for discrimination.
The Indiana law, similar to the federal version signed in 1993 and similar to laws in 20 states, protects individuals from the government intruding on their religious beliefs.
However, critics say its language allows businesses to deny service to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders, and use religious beliefs as justification.
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