A Maryland restaurant owner was forced to apologize Sunday for posting a sign saying that if men can identify as women, then a restaurant can identify as a grocery store and stay open in spite of local coronavirus shutdowns.
The owners of the Market Street Inn, a restaurant in Salisbury, Maryland, posted an apology on Facebook after photos of the sign — which read “So if a male can identify as a female, can a bar identify as a grocery store?” — began appearing on social media.
The owner, Rob Mulford, told the Salisbury Daily Times that he is sorry for the “extremely insensitive and derogatory” sign.
“I the owner of Market Street Inn am sorry for the distasteful sign that was written in front of a place of business,” Mulford said in his statement. “A public business is not a platform for political or personal feelings or opinions and … is ultimately the responsibility of the person responsible for that organization.”
The eating establishment owner also said the incident was a “process of learning.”
“[I]t’s a whole new thing, and it was a big mistake, and it’s hurtful,” he admitted. “Hopefully over time [the community] will take that I am sincere about it, and that sincerity we build on it, and move forward, and correct our problems, and that’s all you can really ask.”
Mulford also said that the employee who made the sign has been fired.
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