Cracker Barrel, Once Antigay, Celebrates Pride and the Haters Flip

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"We take no pleasure in reporting that Cracker Barrel has fallen," tweets the Texas Family Project.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

June 08 2023 9:26 PM EST

June 08 2023 9:27 PM EST

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The Cracker Barrel chain of family restaurants surprised many today when it posted a positive Pride message on its Facebook account.

The company, based in Lebanon, Tenn., and a staple of the South and suburban America for over 50 years, responded to positive tweets about its Facebook post.

\u201c@lastgeekonleft Thanks for sharing! Our teams take pride in creating a welcoming, safe atmosphere where people can enjoy time with family and friends the moment they walk through our doors. \u2764\ufe0f\u201d
— The Bradadook \ud83d\udc79\ud83c\udf08 (@The Bradadook \ud83d\udc79\ud83c\udf08) 1686245194

The restaurant chain — known as much for its quirky gift shops and addicting peg solitaire games as it is for its stick-to-your-ribs fare — has actually been celebrating Pride and pushing rainbow-themed products for the last few years. Many people still remember the company's intolerant past, when they openly discriminated against LGBTQ+ employees in the early 1990s and fired several gay workers. In response, LGBTQ+ activists descended on Cracker Barrel restaurants to protest their policy of promoting "heterosexual values." The policy was discontinued soon after and the company has continued to make positive strides; it currently holds an 80 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.

The evolution of Cracker Barrel remains news to many, especially conservatives, who (not surprisingly) voiced dismay and anger at the Facebook post.

\u201cWe take no pleasure in reporting that @CrackerBarrel has fallen.\n\nA once family friendly establishment has caved to the mob.\u201d
— Texas Family Project (@Texas Family Project) 1686251239

As of press time, Cracker Barrel has not succumbed to the anti-LGBTQ+ mob that has taken aim at other corporations voicing support for the queer community, like Budweiser and Target.