Cake store owners left shaken after getting homophobic letter
A COUPLE have said they are horrified after receiving a hateful, homophobic letter to their store demanding a refund due to their sexuality
The shop owners, Michael Burns and husband Stephen Whyteside, received the shocking piece of mail on Thursday morning.
Staff at the store, who opened the envelope directed to Special Days Cakes in Uddingston, were distraught and upset after reading the contents, which threatened that the company “should be shut down”.
After showroom workers called Michael, 52, and Stephen, 41, the couple reported the hate crime to police, who are now said to be investigating the package sent to the store on Old Edinburgh Road.
The shocking letter contains multiple anti-gay slurs and reports disgust at Michael and Stephen’s sexuality.
In it, the writer tells that if they had known they were gay they would have “given the shop a wide berth”.
It goes on: “I will be returning to get my money back as I don’t want any of your hands near any food. You should be shut down.”
Just 24 hours after getting the note, Michael and Stephen say they are still shaken up.
Showroom manager Stephen said: “I started laughing at first, I just thought it couldn’t be real. You don’t get letters like that. I’m just so shocked that someone would take the time to do anything like this.
“We’ve not had any disagreements with customers, they’re not the type to do that. The fact that we’re a couple isn’t hidden, it is promoted. It seems someone has gone out of their way to target us with this hate crime.
“We were worried if someone has gone to the effort to find our shop, why not our home?”
The couple, from Bothwell, have been together for 19 years and will celebrate their10th wedding anniversary in December.
Michael, who started Special Days Cakes 26 years ago in his home town, welcomed Stephen onto the team nearly 15 years ago, and the pair say they have never hidden their relationship from customers.
Police have now been made aware of the incident, and will speak to the owners. A spokeswoman for the force said: “We can confirm that a complaint was received on Thursday, September 19, 2019, and enquiries are ongoing into this hate crime.”
Stephen added: “Police have been really good.
“We’re involved in community and charity work – people know we are a couple!
“This is not something we’ve ever dealt with before. I was brought up in a Scotland where it was OK to be who you are. This is the first time I have felt otherwise.”
For any help or advice on issues related this article, visit the Equality Network’s LGBT Helpline.
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