Apparently wearing a t-shirt identifying Bill Clinton as a rapist, which he is, was a bridge too far for a hipster enclave in a small town about 30-minutes outside of Orlando. Clinton’s victims have been shamed by the modern #MeToo movement and banned from rallies discussing sexual assault.
The iconic Clinton Rape shirt, released by Infowars in the heat of the 2016 Presidential election and promoted by Trump confidante Roger Stone, is still ruffling feathers. According to Tyler Whyte, a Deland resident and dedicated patron of Persimmon Hollow, he was asked by a female bartender to turn his shirt inside out if he wished to be served.
Bill Clinton’s brutal attacks on women were documented in Roger Stone’s bestselling book, The Clintons’ War On Women.
“At first I thought it was a joke. I’ve gotten crap before for supporting Trump and having a more conservative viewpoint, but it was always jocular and I felt like we always had a good rapport,” Whyte told the Central Florida Post.
The Florida chapter of the Proud Boys, a pro-west men’s fraternal organization lead by Whyte, has used Persimmon Hollow as a meeting place on dozens of occasions and Whyte himself has encouraged friends to support the local business countless times over the past four years.
“It was really disappointing. Who is offended by calling Bill Clinton what he is? The man viciously raped dozens and got away with it. Is Persimmon Hollow saying that holding rapists accountable is offensive? Bill Cosby will likely die in prison, while Bill Clinton remains free. Talk about white privilege.”
Mark Luteran, a friend of Whyte’s who had planned on meeting him there for a few brews, attempted to diffuse the situation by ordering drinks for himself and Whyte so the bartender would not have to see the shirt that she claimed was offensive.
“The bartender got triggered and told him to turn it inside out or leave before we arrived. Tyler didn’t turn it inside out and went outside to wait for us to arrive. My dad and I finally got some beers, abiding by the bartenders wish to not serve Tyler. She quickly snatched the beer away, again claiming it was because of the shirt.”
Persimmon Hollow Co-Owner Andy Sistrunk then told the group that they would have to leave and that the bar had an unwritten policy about “offensive” shirts, a policy not displayed or ever enforced according to several frequent customers we spoke to.
While I agree that the bar has the right to refuse service, this was not the best test case for enforcing an “offensive” t-shirt policy.
What kind of person gets offended by addressing the fact that Bill Clinton is a rapist? Are they booting people who wear Che Guevara t-shirts or clothing supporting communist dictators that have killed millions?
Moreover, why would a small business owner want to alienate a longtime customer who was peacefully spending money at their bar and inviting others to grab an afternoon beer?
Efforts to reach Persimmon Hollow and obtain a written copy of their “offensive” t-shirt policy or comment on Wednesday’s incident were unsuccessful.
