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Update: Kai Cross, the blender who tipped me to this story, had sent a letter in to the manager of the Mission Viejo Farrell’s. Kai received this letter back this morning:
Kai,Thank you again for your response to my email.
After discussing your email with my family, and several gay friends, I decided to remove the post from Facebook.
I honestly did not realize the impact it had on so many people. Farrell’s is designed to be a fun place and I want everyone to always feel welcome.
Thanks for pushing so hard. I would love to meet you sometime. Free sundae on me!
Sincerely,
Michael Fleming
Farrell’s Mission Viejo
Well. That is pleasantly suprising news!
~~Autumn~~
I left a comment for a Facebook photo wall photo:
My first job out of High School in 1977 was working at the Northridge, California Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor — I have fond memories. Before that, I had many fond memories of Farrell’s from being a customer of the business as a child.
So, I’m pretty disappointed with the FARRELLS ICE CREAM PARLOR comment of 1:54 PM on Saturday, November 7th for this photo. Frankly, Farrell’s is telling me by highlighting Pastor Warren on this Facebook page — given Pastor Warren’s public statements just last year about people in my community — that I’m not really the kind of or customer (or former employee) that Farrell’s wants anymore. I can’t imagine Farrell’s highlighting someone who is known for racist, sexist, or anti-religious commentary, so seeing a photo up of someone who’s made derogatory statements about people in a another class protected by California state law is a huge disappointment. Seeing that this photo is remaining on this Facebook page with the “official” commentary that Pastor Warren is a celebrity seems to me to be a very less than satisfactory response.
What a way to now despoil the pleasant memories of my first real job, as well as of one of my favorite restaurants as a kid. Posting this photo of Pastor Warren, with a tacit endorsement of his book in how the book is prominently displayed by an employee, was really unnecessarily divisive.
I was planning on visiting the Mission Viejo parlor on my next trip up from San Diego — not anymore.
Well as I said, I left that comment on the Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor – Wall Photo that highlights lying homobigot Pastor Rick Warren at the Mission Viejo opening of Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor.
Do you remember what Rick Warren said during the Prop 8 Campaign? …
[What Pastor Rick Warren said during the Prop 8 Campaign, links to where he lied about what he said, and Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor's "official" response posted on their Facebook page.]
Rick Warren: But the issue to me is, I’m not opposed to that as much as I’m opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.Steven Waldman: Do you think, though, that they are equivalent to having gays getting married?
Rick Warren: Oh I do…
And then, of course, this homobigoted Pastor lied about ever making the comparison between same-sex/same-gender relationships to incest, pedophilia and polygamy.
That’s right, a Farrell’s manager is squarely holding up a written product from Pastor Rick Warren — it looks to me that when a uniformed Farrell’s employee is squarely and intentionally holding a copy of Pastor Warren’s book, he’s tacitly endorsing the Pastor and the book on behalf of Farrell’s. It’s visual endorsement of written product from a Pastor who compared same-sex/same-gender relationships to incest and pedophilia.
This is the “official” response found on the Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor’s page for the Facebook photo.
Dear Farrell’s Fans:This Farrell’s Facebook site was designed to allow everyone to post memories of their past and to see what Farrell’s is doing to make it’s return. The posting of Rick Warren’s visit was made NOT as an endorsement of him or his book. The book happened to be in the photo as one of the management just had the book signed then the photo was taken. Farrell’s is a happy place for EVERYONE! There is no political agenda and everyones views and opinions are their own. Certain political view posts, both positive and negative are being removed as this site is not intended to be a political blog. Everyone is welcome at Farrell’s. We don’t judge and we appreciate not being judged by who comes in for a sundae. We apologize to anyone who might have taken the photo posting as anything other than what it was intended to do, share a memory of a Farrell’s fan. Thank you
So, Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor posted a picture of a homobigot who visited their store, with one of the Farrell’s managers in the picture holding the homobigot’s book squarely as if he’s advertizing it, and Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor doesn’t see a problem with posting this picture of this “celebrity” with their staff. Everyone may be welcome, but someone who compares same-sex/same-gender relationships to incest and pedophilia is so welcome he gets his picture posted and his book tacitly endorsed.
Farrell’s really was my first job out of High School, and is a place I have had fond memories of. I actually did plan on visiting the new Mission Viejo Farrell’s the next time I drove up in the direction of Los Angeles — the hell with that. My memories have been soured.
Despite what Farrell’s may say with words, with the action of posting a homobigot’s picture as a “celebrity” photo while a manager is tacitly advertizing the homobigot’s book, Farrell’s is telling me that people like me apparently aren’t really welcome at their business establishments. They apparently prefer the business of homobigots.
~~~~~
Related:
* Homobigot Rick Warren to deliver invocation at inauguration
* Rick Warren lies about his homobigotry on Larry King Live
* Rick Warren’s peeps start up the damage control machine – massive FAIL
* Rick Warren’s anti-gay ways continue — on the road to support breakaway Episcopalians
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14 Comments
Ah, yesYet another non-apology apology.
As far as I’m concerned. I’m looking at Fred Phelps lite. Same bigot, just a little bit easier for the general public to swallow.
Dena
Could it be? Why yes, that’s the “Pig’s Trough” in front of Rick WarrenSweet (and appropriate) product placement!
Or maybe “The Zoo”?
Yeah, I de-fanned Farrell’s on Facebook……for hosting and featuring that bigoted f*cker. But not before I asked if they are out of ice cream now.
I’ll bet that these daysthey only sell ice cream made with nuts, so Warren will feel at home.
Turn about’s fair play?So we could maybe get a whole bunch of openly gay minor celebrities to get their photos taken with gay-friendly books in hand?
Don’t get riled up until they refuse to allow this to happen or decide against posting the photo.
I’m all for activism, but it needs to be targeted at the hypocrites and the groups that actively oppose civil liberties for LGBT.
Ice Cream–We all scream for it.Surely there have to be other places in the area to satisfy the sugar suicide urge. I don’t mean an official boycott, but LGBT folk should aware the facts presented here when feeling like a sundae or a post-dinner cone. A sudden fallout from the Facebook events might make them think twice.
Love,
Rick
better not to chase dogs when hunting foxes Lamabasting, heckling, and ridiculing Farrell’s for there very stupid mistake makes a lot more sense to me then raising the ire of bigotry and discrimination against a company that just did something patently obtuse and ill suited for their purported comback. Better this than to out and out acuse them of discrimination and association with bigots.
Rick Warren has retreated and back-stepped from his views “publically”, against the homosexual community. Not that I don’t doubt he still holds them but he has definately decided he doesn’t want to fell the heat of a national anti-gay image on his back. Whether or not he might choose to raise his ugly head later and reenter the fray I can’t say but at this point he is a non-issue for our community.
I think it would be a great idea to chin-check Farrell’s to see if they will stick to their guns and be just as welcoming to members of our community before we put them up on the cross of animosity and censure. Because we already have plenty of enemies we didn’t make in this struggle.
My thoughts on Rick WarrenI posted a few comments voicing my opinion on this matter. I also sent private messages to those who were disapproving of hateful comments against Rick Warren to show them where we are coming from.
At any rate, I had made a vlog about my thoughts on Rick Warren last December, and I figured it would be relevant here:
Is Ice Cream safe again?Yes, it’s just a small thing probably… but I sure didn’t want my memories of Farrell’s to be blemished by Rick Warren. I was glad that they took down the post, and sent the Mgmt team at Farrell’s a note thanking them for that.
–Kai
Great work Kaiand thank you Autumn for letting us know about this!
From selling Garbage Pail Kids cards to just selling garbage?Like Autumn, I too have fond memories of Farrell’s Ice Cream. When I was growing up in San Marcos, many a birthday party for my siblings and I was thrown there, and I’ve always hoped it would make a return. Even before I was moved away with family, Farrell’s started to decline from the place it had used to be.
Of course, the idea that this place could possibly be contributing in some way to bigotry by posting this picture seems sketchy to me. Yes, the book shouldn’t be there, that much is true. However, Rick Warren, whether we like it or not (and I very much fall on the latter), is a celebrity.
After the Simpson trial, where a fair portion of public opinion was and still is that the criminal case should have convicted him, I would still see on “celebrity walls” in California his autographed photo. This doesn’t mean that they endorse murdering your ex-wife and her current beau, does it? No, it just means the same thing as it does for Farrell’s: They’re star struck, and they hope that the notion that celebrities have visited their establishment would boost business.
Which brings me back to Rick Warren, who, despite his misguided and downright mentally challenged views, is a celebrity with a following. No manager is looking like that as, “Quick, let’s get an endorsement for his book going. Maybe he’ll make Farrell’s the headquarters for all his meetings with his publicists! Soon, I will be able to have my bigotry come to fruition: Swastika-shaped ice cream bowls.” What was probably going through their heads was as such: “This is a celebrity. He has a following. Should said following see said celebrity at our establishment, they will seek to emulate him as all followings do. Soon, I will be able to buy a Grand Prix with all the money I’m making off this one little photo.”
So, to summarize, I fail to see endorsement of bigotry in this photo. The book shouldn’t be there, true, but the only thing I get off this photo is attempt to pander to new customers using a celebrity as bait.
Bob Farrell is a christian and supports Young Lifeso I doubt that he’s a supporter of ours. Here’s the link
http://www.younglife.org/Found…
QuickWe should all dress up as other paragons of humanity such as caligula, hitler, bush… And then go get our picture taken at farrell’s (I thought they were gone).
I was going to suggest kluxers but with the hoods what is the point of the photo. Although it would make more of a statement to have a gaggle of sheet wearers go there to dine and get pictures.
Do you think they would get the point then? Since they wouldn’t hire me as a baby butch in the eighties using their ‘morals’ as an excuse, I doubt it. I wasn’t out to myself then but that doesn’t matter to the haters.