Kansas Waiter Turns Hate into Hope: Fundraiser Launched After Homophobic Incident

A gay waiter in Kansas was left gobsmacked after a customer scrawled a homophobic slur on a receipt instead of leaving a tip, but the incident has sparked a wave of support and raised thousands for an LGBTQ+ education organisation.

Noah Bierig, a 19-year-old server at Bubba’s 33 in Wichita, was sporting painted nails and a Pride bracelet while serving a group of blokes two weeks ago. He noticed at least one of them giving him the stink eye.

“The first time I went up to the table, they were just shooting me a couple of dirty looks. And every time I would walk away, they would kind of just start laughing a little bit,” Bierig told news station Kake.com.

After the group scarpered, Bierig returned to the table to find they’d left no tip. Instead, they’d scrawled the homophobic slur “f****t” on the receipt.

“That hurt me a lot. I’m not the type to cry at work, but that was the first time that had happened to me,” Bierig shared.

One of Bierig’s mates posted the receipt online, which included the customer’s name and signature. The post went viral, with many people expressing their outrage at the incident.

The bloke responsible for the slur eventually apologised on Facebook before deleting his social media accounts.

Despite the nasty experience, Bierig remained positive, saying he wanted to show that “we can always keep our smiles up” and be happy. “We don’t have to hate anyone, we can always just love,” he added.

Instead of a tip, a customer recently wrote a homophobic slur on this server’s receipt. Tonight, we’ll hear how he’s trying to turn the hurtful act into a powerful anti-bullying message. #KAKENews pic.twitter.com/bUFxeiCQ60

— Eli Higgins (@EliTheTVGuy) July 24, 2024

The incident prompted Bierig’s friends to set up an online fundraiser, which has since raked in thousands of dollars.

Bierig announced that the money would be donated to GLSEN, an education organisation working to end discrimination, harassment and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. In a show of support, Bubba’s 33 has promised to match the donations.

This turn of events demonstrates how a single act of bigotry can be transformed into a powerful force for positive change and education in the community.

Last Updated on Aug 2, 2024