Downtown Fresno craft brewery Tioga Sequoia reportedly removed its LGBTQ Pride flag and shut its doors on Monday due to public backlash.
ABC 30 reported that Tioga Sequoia removed the flag on Friday, launching significant public backlash online.
Driving the news: Employees told the TV station that the brewery’s management wanted to expand clientele by removing the flag.
- But the flag was quickly put back up after the backlash, though the brewery shut its doors Monday to deal with the issue.
- The brewery held a staff meeting to understand what led to the removal of the flag and how to move forward with the community.
What they’re saying: Tioga Sequoia president Michael Cruz issued the following statement to the station: “There was never any intention of removing the flag to harm, disrespect, or change our stance on that. We recognize and feel remorse for this egregious misunderstanding.”
