‘No Trans, Lesbians Or Gays’: Restaurant’s Promotion Backfires Spectacularly
Discriminatory marketing didn’t go as planned for a Mississippi eatery now facing outrage, boycotts, and deleted social media pages.
A Mississippi restaurant is facing intense criticism after promoting a special deal exclusively for heterosexual couples, explicitly excluding LGBTQ+ patrons. Darwell’s Happiness Cafe in Long Beach, Mississippi, owned by Darwell Yeager III and Nettie Mechelle Yeager, announced the discriminatory promotion in a now-deleted video that quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons.
On March 25, the Yeagers posted a video on social media advertising a limited-time offer for “real couples only,” according to the Clarion Ledger. In the footage, Darwell Yeager jovially sang about a “celebration of couples day” before clarifying that the deal was only for “a couple—husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, guy and girl couple, the real kind of couple.”
His wife, Nettie, doubled down, stating, “Cause we don’t do the trans or the lesbians or gays. I’m sorry, but that’s down the street.” The duo emphasized that only “couples who can produce a child” were eligible for the special.
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The response from the LGBTQ+ community and allies was as swift and fierce as you’d expect. Social media exploded with outrage, with users calling for a boycott of the restaurant. Local advocacy groups, including Gulf Coast Equality, condemned the restaurant’s actions and urged people to support inclusive businesses instead.
“When a business chooses bigotry over belonging, it’s up to all of us to show that hate has no home here,” the group stated. “Let’s stand together and support LGBTQ+ owned and allied businesses that celebrate diversity.”
Beyond social media backlash, many locals vowed never to dine at the restaurant again, with some leaving negative reviews online.
As criticism mounted, the Yeagers’ response was anything but consistent. At first, they defended their stance, parroting Donald Trump’s rhetoric about ending “wokeness” and even briefly offering a “MAGA discount.” However, as the backlash intensified, they issued a vague apology, with Nettie Yeager writing, “I’m truly sorry if you got offended or misunderstood something not meant to hurt anyone…”
Despite the half-hearted attempt at damage control, the restaurant’s Facebook page was soon deleted. Darwell Yeager then moved his messaging to a private Facebook group for the cafe, where he continued to insist that the deal was “just a normal meal special.”
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Discrimination doesn’t happen in a vacuum. When those in power normalize exclusion and bigotry, it emboldens others to follow suit. The Yeagers’ willingness to broadcast their anti-LGBTQ bias so publicly is a reflection of a larger cultural shift fueled by political rhetoric that encourages intolerance. A quick scroll through Darwell’s Facebook profile shows him resharing anti-trans content from the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene, and xenophobic messages from MAGA accounts.
Since the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the federal level, it’s no wonder that businesses and individuals who hold anti-LGBTQ+ views feel increasingly empowered to act on them. When leaders use their platforms to attack marginalized communities, it encourages discrimination.
But the backlash against Darwell’s Happiness Cafe is a reminder that people will not passively accept discrimination. Public outrage, boycotts, and activism send a clear message: no matter who enables it, bigotry will be challenged.
