Pizzeria Cortile, a celebrated Chattanooga eatery, faces backlash after declining to cater a same-sex wedding, sparking online harassment. Critics blur lines between refusal of service and ideological compulsion.
A celebrated Chattanooga pizza restaurant, Pizzeria Cortile, is under fire from progressive LGBTQ activists after a private inquiry about catering a same-sex wedding exploded into a full-scale online attack. The restaurant, which has been serving the community for seven years and is known for winning Best Pizza Shop in Chattanooga, now finds itself the target of relentless harassment for its response to a seemingly innocuous question.
The controversy began when the restaurant received a private message that read:
"Good morning! I'm curious if you guys can confirm or deny that you refused to cater a same sex wedding. Word is spreading in the community, and it would be great to get a clear answer from you guys. Thanks!"
Pizzeria Cortile responded directly and clearly:
"Hi (name redacted), thank you for reaching out, we do not cater same sex weddings."
This simple response, delivered privately, was apparently too much for activists who quickly escalated the situation into a public crusade against the restaurant.
The response was met with a tidal wave of vitriol on Pizzeria Cortile’s Facebook page. Hundreds of comments flooded their posts, turning a family-friendly local eatery into ground zero for an ideological firestorm. Among the comments:
- “Are you going to start asking your patrons their sexual orientation upon entering the vicinity? Being bisexual, am I welcome? Or only welcome when I’m with a woman?”
- “I prefer my pizza without a side of homophobia. I hope your business tanks 🙂.”
- “Does this come with a side of hate?”
- “Come by for a $7 cocktail, stay for the bigotry.”
The online abuse didn’t stop at snarky comments. Activists organized virtual dogpiling, ensuring that every recent post on the restaurant’s page was saturated with accusations and demands for the business to collapse.
The harassment of Pizzeria Cortile is nothing new. It mirrors the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, in which Colorado baker Jack Phillips became a target of endless litigation after declining to bake a custom cake for a same-sex wedding. Phillips' case became emblematic of the clash between religious liberty and LGBTQ activism, with progressive groups relentlessly pursuing him through the courts for over a dozen years.
Most recently, in October 2023, Colorado’s Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit against Phillips. The case involved transgender activist Autumn Scardina, who had requested a cake decorated with pink and blue frosting to celebrate a gender transition—an obvious provocation given Phillips' long-established stance on custom work. Scardina’s suit followed the same strategy that activists have employed for years: weaponizing anti-discrimination laws to punish individuals who hold traditional religious beliefs.
The Supreme Court, in its 7-2 ruling on the original Masterpiece Cakeshop case, determined that Colorado’s Civil Rights Commission had demonstrated open hostility toward Phillips’ religious beliefs, violating his constitutional right to the free exercise of religion. Despite this clear precedent, activists continue to replicate the same tactics against businesses like Pizzeria Cortile.
At its core, the outrage against Pizzeria Cortile isn’t about pizza, weddings, or even tolerance. It’s about using social pressure to enforce ideological conformity. Refusing to cater a same-sex wedding, while offering service to all customers otherwise, reflects a longstanding belief shared by millions of Americans: that participating in certain events may conflict with their faith or personal convictions.
Notably, Pizzeria Cortile has not banned LGBTQ patrons or discriminated in general service. Yet activists deliberately blur the lines, accusing the restaurant of “hate” and “bigotry” for declining to participate in one specific type of event. This is not about equality—it’s about compulsion.
The online mob’s fury comes at a time when more Americans are rejecting the relentless attempts to vilify individuals and businesses for holding traditional beliefs. While activists demand total ideological compliance, they fail to recognize that the pendulum is swinging back. A growing number of people—across political and religious lines—see this harassment for what it is: bullying masked as virtue.
Pizzeria Cortile’s situation highlights a broader cultural shift. Progressive activists who once called for “tolerance” now demand submission. Any deviation from their approved narrative—no matter how respectfully expressed—becomes a target for punishment.
Pizzeria Cortile’s reputation as a beloved local restaurant has been unfairly tarnished by this ordeal. Until recently, the eatery was celebrated for its food and its contributions to Chattanooga’s community. Its recognition as Best Pizza Shopin Chattanooga—winning a bracket hosted by NOOGAtoday—reflects its positive relationship with customers over the years.
That reputation, built on quality and service, is now under attack because of a single sentence: “We do not cater same sex weddings.”
The irony? The people who preach “inclusivity” are now actively trying to exclude and destroy a business that doesn’t align with their views.
The parallels to the Masterpiece Cakeshop case serve as a warning: this will not stop here. Whether in bakeries, flower shops, or pizza restaurants, progressive activists are intent on making examples of businesses that don’t conform to their worldview.
What happened to “live and let live”? To the notion that people can disagree without being demonized? Pizzeria Cortile’s owners are now in the same unenviable position Jack Phillips faced for over a decade—under attack not for how they treat people, but for what they believe.
Pizzeria Cortile’s story is another chapter in an ongoing culture war where “tolerance” only goes one way. This small Chattanooga business is being vilified for politely declining to participate in a same-sex wedding—an event that conflicts with its values.
Much like Jack Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop, Pizzeria Cortile now faces a choice: bend to the mob or stand firm. The public, meanwhile, faces a choice of its own: Will we allow small businesses to be destroyed for holding traditional beliefs, or will we draw a line in the sand?
One thing is certain—this isn’t about pizza anymore.
Comments ()