Flower Mound bakery owner says "LGBTQ+ Friendly" sticker has led to hate, harassment
FLOWER MOUND (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Three years ago, Haley Popp put a "LGBTQ+ Friendly" sticker on the window of Hive Bakery.
"This is such an important message and because I have a platform, I feel it necessary to share the message," she said.
Popp said while this has brought business, it has also led to some scary situations.
"The very worst blowback that we've received is a literal death threat," she said. "We've also had people walk into our store, shout slurs at us, call me names and then just walk out."
Popp said recently, the situation has gotten even worse.
"We have received more threats, more name-calling than we ever have before," she said. "There's always an element of fear because of what you read in the news...the business owner just got shot in California—murdered."
Popp was referencing a California woman who was recently killed after an argument over a Pride flag hanging outside her store.
A recent briefing from the Department of Homeland Security says the LGBTQ+ community is facing a surge in violence. Federal threat monitoring shows it's increasingly tied to hate groups and domestic violent extremists.
"The police have been here at least a couple times, and they wanted my emergency information in case anyone tried to break in and wreck the bakery in my absence and in case anything violent occurred," Popp said.
Despite this, the sticker in her window will stay put. She said she'll continue to stand up for what she believes in.
"The hope in sharing our message that we are allies is that people out there will understand you're not alone," she said.
Popp said if these incidents continue, she's going to start filing police reports. She believes it's gotten to that level.