Hippy Jones: Just so all are aware- Courtney Schmackers at Next Door Stories refused to do business with my partner and me because we are a same sex couple.
When I took this blatant case of discrimination up with the Bexley Chamber of Commerce (of which Miss Schmackers is a member) they defended Miss Schmackers and her discriminatory ways, saying that her bigotry is just her "business preference".
Had we been refused service because we were black or Jewish, Next Door Stories would be held accountable; but since we're just queers- no one cares. We are treated as second class citizens- in our very own neighborhood, community and city.
I attempted to go through the ACLU, equality Ohio, bravo, every pro-queer, pro-civil rights, pro-community organization you can imagine. Many of those people dismissed me. But Several of those people were lovely and offered to write letters on my behalf and be there to support me emotionally. But we have no legal recourse options at all... So we took our story to the streets. We told our friends and asked that they tell their friends. Several people went to the fb page of Next Door Stories and the Bexley Area Chamber of Commerce, and left them messages and reviews expressing their disdain for condoning hate, bigotry & discrimination. So many poor reviews in fact, that Courtney Schmackers of Next Door Stories felt it necessary to delete her ENTIRE review section altogether.
Bexley area chamber of commerce has blocked me from contacting them as well as from posting questions to their page. But they haven't YET deleted their ratings section... **Incase anyone has thoughts to share with them.
*Next door Stories (owned by Courtney Schmackers) business is at 700 Sheridan ave in bexley.
The link to the page is:
Every dent we put in the wall of inequality is a victory, as we fight to knock it down once and for all.
If it happened to you- what would you do?
What if it was your daughter, son, sister, brother, mother, loved one?? Ignore it? Sweep it under the rug? Or stand up and speak out??
