A Roosevelt Road business is capitalizing on the political firestorm surrounding Indiana's religious freedom law by seeking to raise money in the name of gay rights.
Big Guys Sausage Stand, at 7021 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, created a GoFundMe page Friday, April 3 titled, "Non Bigoted Restaurant Wants Cash."
Within two hours, the fundraiser had 142 shares on social media and had raised $50.
"At Big Guys Sausage Stand we use a lot of ingredients to make great homemade sandwiches, but one ingredient we never use is hate," the GoFundMe page says. "And if any LGBT couples want Big Guys Sausage to cater their Big Gay Wedding, please give us a call."
Big Guys owner Brendan O'Connor said he's been watching reports of money rolling in through GoFundMe for Memories Pizza in Walkerton, Ind., after the pizzeria said it would refuse to cater a gay couple's wedding in the wake of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act being signed into law.
O'Connor said he was surprised Memories Pizza received so much money — $772,390 as of April 3 — and his GoFundMe page was an attempt to take a stand on the other side. If a significant amount of money is raised, he said, he'll think of somewhere to donate the funds.
"It took about 10 minutes. I thought it was worth a try," he said. "The joke is to make a point."
The fundraiser quickly gained traction on social media, drawing dozens of comments on Big Guys' Facebook page. O'Connor took it in stride.
"Anything to get your name out there. And if I can get my name out there on the side of acceptance and tolerance, even better," O'Connor said.
