In Kansas, a gay waiter named Noah Bierig experienced a distressing incident at his workplace, Bubba’s 33 in Wichita, when a customer wrote a homophobic slur on a receipt instead of leaving a tip. The 19-year-old waiter was serving a group of young men who made him uncomfortable by staring at his painted nails and pride bracelet. The customer wrote the derogatory term “f-g” on the receipt, which deeply hurt Bierig, causing him to cry at work for the first time.
Bierig, who came out as gay six years ago and wears a pride bracelet gifted by his mother, shared his painful experience with KAKE News, expressing how much the cruel act affected him. Despite the group’s taunts, Bierig continued to serve them professionally.
A friend of Bierig’s posted a photo of the receipt online, leading to widespread outrage and support for Bierig. The customer, James Blick, later apologized on Facebook, acknowledging his wrongdoing and attempting to reach out to Bierig to apologize directly, though unsuccessfully.
In response to the incident, Bierig’s friends created an online fund via Proud of Wichita to support him. However, Bierig declined the funds, stating that any money raised would be donated instead. Bierig expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming support he received, which he never expected from a few Facebook posts by his friends and family.