Kroger Sued After Two Employees Were Fired for Refusing to Wear Rainbow Heart on Apron

Remember when the LGBTQ movement was about tolerance? I did not add the + to the LGBTQ, because I’m talking about back in the day, before the + came in vogue.

Well, those days of tolerance are long gone. Now, we’ve even moved past acceptance to the point where all people need to advocate for this lifestyle, even if it violates their own religious beliefs.

According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, grocery giant Kroger is now facing a lawsuit stemming from an incident where they fired two employees for refusing to wear an apron with a rainbow heart.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in a lawsuit filed Monday accused Kroger Co. of unlawful employment practices for allegedly refusing to accommodate two former employees in Conway who expressed religious objections to wearing an apron embroidered with a rainbow based on their belief that the symbol represented advocacy for the LGBTQ community.

The two former employees of the grocery chain, Brenda C. Lawson and Trudy K. Rickerd, were disciplined and ultimately terminated because of their objections to the dress code that stemmed from their religious beliefs, according to an EEOC complaint.

The rainbow flag has long been recognized as a symbol of the LGBTQ community and is often flown in June to celebrate Pride Month. However, based on information contained in the complaint, it’s unclear whether Kroger intended for the emblem on the apron to symbolize solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, in April 2019 Kroger instituted changes to its dress code that included a new apron required for employees featuring a rainbow heart logo embroidered on it.

News alert: If it’s a rainbow in June, it’s a gay rainbow. If it’s a rainbow any other time of year and on the uniform of a major corporation, it’s still probably a gay rainbow.

Trudy Rickerd, at the time of the dispute, wrote a letter to her employer kindly requesting reasonable accommodations.

“I have a sincerely held religious belief that I cannot wear a symbol that promotes or endorses something that is in violation of my religious faith … I respect others who have a different opinion and am happy to work alongside others who desire to wear the symbol. I am happy to buy another apron to ensure there is no financial hardship on Kroger.”

Here is a key sentence in the lawsuit:

 “The complaint says that although Lawson and Rickerd hold ‘no personal animosity toward the individuals who comprise the LGBTQ community, the practices of that community’ violate their religious beliefs.”

That, my friends, is called tolerance and that is no longer good enough. Because of Kroger’s alleged intolerance, loyal employees who had been with the company for eight years and 13 years were terminated.

Controversy Over the Meaning of the Logo

There is a question as to whether the “rainbow” was really a gay pride rainbow. After seeing the picture, I have to say I question that too. It looks like the colored heart may be completely unrelated to LGBTQ+ issues.

It will be interesting to hear Kroger’s defense and see all the evidence.

Bless their snowflake hearts. It’s not even a rainbow. 🙄 https://t.co/aSFy7R6LpG

— ryan ♂🏳️‍🌈 (@uttzey) September 16, 2020

Two supposedly Christian Alabama women are suing Kroger Corp. for being forced to wear an apron with a heart on it, saying it's gay and homosexuality is a sin. The @USEEOC is championing their suit.

A 5-minute search shows it is a "promise" campaign, not LGBT. Misguided Hate. pic.twitter.com/7OPy6ZYe41

— Michael Aaron (@MAaronSLC) September 16, 2020

If it is true that this uniform rainbow is associated with a Kroger push to celebrate gay pride, then shame on Kroger.

Kudos to the Trump administration EEOC for standing up for these employees and their religious rights.

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