Today we had to tell two semi-regular customers that we would not be serving them any more.
It wasn't dramatic. It was a quiet conversation in the back booth.
It was not a decision that we made lightly, but it had to be done.
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For months, these two old, white codgers have been making our staff uncomfortable, making misogynistic, racist and homophobic comments and "jokes", either directly to staff or within earshot.
Majority of our staff are female, female-presenting, trans or queer.
It started with one member of staff.
When she told us what happened, we told her to get someone else to serve them if she didn't feel comfortable.
Over time, the only ones who felt ok serving them were the two cis-het men. One was my husband, and the other was a young casual staffer.
There are multiple layers to this
As a first generation migrant business right in the heart of a very predominantly white neighbourhood, our existence and success is precarious.
Yes, Australia is multicultural, but the dominant rhetoric is that we (migrants) must be *thankful* that we are allowed to live and work here.
Don't rock the boat. Don't push back.
Assimilate. Laugh off the disrespect.
Then there's the misogyny.
If anyone other than my cis-het male husband brought it up with these two men, they would not have taken it seriously - blaming the younger generation for being sensitive and easily offended.
They actually did say this when he spoke to them. That they were just *joking* and that the staff were being sensitive.
