Trump-supporting vegan cafe declares itself a ‘straight safe space’ after hurling slurs at LGBT+ customers
Hale & Hearty owner Mark Da Costa declared his cafe a “Trump safe space” in a Facebook video. (Facebook)
File this under “just what 2020 needed”: a vegan cafe in Australia has declared itself a “safe space” for Trump supporters and heterosexuals.
Hale & Hearty, a plant-based cafe in Sydney, has come under fire for a slew of homophobic, transphobic, racist, ableist and slut-shaming abuse – aimed at its own customers. In response, owner Mark Da Costa took to Facebook to declare Hale & Hearty a “Donald Trump safe zone”.
Yes, really. Da Costa wants Trump supporters to come in and discuss politics over vegan pancakes.
Sydney, make sure to avoid ever eating at Hale & Hearty in Waterloo. Their not very bright owner has called people homophobic and ableist slurs and is a trump (?) supporter (?) pic.twitter.com/Gqy7Aqx6xy
— Bec Shaw (@Brocklesnitch) November 1, 2020
“We are a straight Sydney safe zone”, Hale & Hearty posted on Instagram over the weekend. Comments from the cafe’s Facebook page showed it responding to customers who said they’d no longer be spending their money there by asking “are you a poof?”
“Anyone have Vegan Restaurant in Sydney declares themselves a straight safe space after coming out in support of Trump on their 2020 bingo? I think I might have,” one person commented.
Anyone have Vegan Restaurant in Sydney declares themselves a straight safe space after coming out in support of Trump on their 2020 bingo? I think I might have. pic.twitter.com/cwJCMylMTA— brendan maclean (@macleanbrendan) October 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/WhoIsBeauWindon/status/1322811675163029504?s=20
“Can we talk about how the owner of Hale and Hearty in Waterloo is a Trump supporter who verbally abuses people and when you call him out on it he abuses you too?” another person tweeted.
Another replied: “Saw this the other week, won’t be going there again. It’s a shame, their food and smoothies were great.”
Saw this the other week, won't be going there again. It's a shame, their food and smoothies were great— Matt Bungard (@TheMattBungard) October 31, 2020
Bravo to @BenFordham (@BenFordhamLive) who had them on his show to promote the shop and praise their use of free speech. I assume this is what he means? pic.twitter.com/BQ2Uf6tNPP
— Brendan Maclean (@macleanbrendan) October 31, 2020
As the backlash against Hale & Hearty intensified, Da Costa told the Daily Telegraph that the “left-wing fake vegan community” is trying to ruin his business. He later issued an apology, saying sorry for his abusive comments while reiterating that the cafe is a “Trump safe zone”.
“I will remain a Trump supporter, and I am a Pauline Hanson supporter,” Da Costa said in his apology. Hanson is an Australian politician who is the founder and leader of One Nation, a right-wing populist political party.
