Jenna (@jennaabennaa) was fighting back tears as she recounted an incident of discrimination she alleges took place at a Dollar Tree in Utah.
She and her fiancée, Meg, were purchasing dozens of frames for their upcoming wedding—a purchase unusual enough that the cashier asked them about it. It took the employee a moment to understand that Jenna and Meg were engaged to one another, rather than there being a groom-to-be in the picture. And that, Jenna says, is when things took a turn.
"She was like, 'No. No. No, you guys are sick in the head. You guys are mentally ill. You guys are why there are guns in the street, and drugs,'" Jenna recalls.
In a later video explaining the incident further, Jenna also alleged that the woman "blamed" their parents and their upbringing, and would not drop the issue despite their attempts to avoid and then defuse the confrontation.
"I am on the verge of tears, so obviously, I just kind of say, 'Can you just check us out?' And then I start crying," she continues. "And then she turns and she realizes that she made me cry, because you're kind of saying awful stuff. And she comes around to give me a fucking hug."
Meg apparently tried shutting the woman down again at that point, but Jenna says she continued to share her unrequested opinions until they left.
Living in Utah, she admits that they "definitely have felt the homophobia before," but that it's generally more implied and less overt.
"People usually say things behind our back or give us glares. Never anything so confrontational," she says.
@jennaabennaa Shoutout to the girl behind us who offered to venmo us money for the wedding ???????? a real queen
♬ original sound - Jenna
@jennaabennaa Replying to @Linds ♬ original sound - Jenna
Both videos pulled a ton of support from internet strangers who were appalled at the audacity of this woman to act so cruelly.
"The cashier?! I would be filing a complaint because wwtffffff," wrote one commenter.
"Why can I never be in ear shot when this stuff happens?!" another asked. "Cuz no ma'am! I hope y'all's wedding is exactly how you dream of it!! live your best lives unapologetically."
"She tried to HUG you?? Like read the room, girl!" added a third.
Many also suggested reaching out to corporate, which Jenna said they already did.
"What if there were baby gays around?" she wonders. "This isn't OK. And also, I'm not OK."
Dollar Tree's Code of Ethics states that the company does not tolerate discrimination, including on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and more. While this code is particularly directed to employees and does not specifically mention employees' discrimination of customers.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jenna via TikTok comment and Dollar Tree via the contact form on their website.
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The post ‘You guys are mentally ill’: Woman says Dollar Tree worker called her ‘sick in the head’ after she told her she’s getting married appeared first on The Daily Dot.