Peter Kafka

A lot of them were similar, but there was a great deal of diversity as well. I note in the piece, Mike Dare... grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and his father would take him to Hooters quite regularly. Mike told me that he was a very flamboyant little boy. It was clear from an early age that he was queer. And this one particular meal was seared into his memory.

He recalled his dad asking two Hooters waitresses to take a photo with him, kissing him on the cheeks. And... As he recounts it to me, they look at him, can tell he's uncomfortable, and say, we think he'd prefer this instead. They gave him bunny ears. And then as they're walking away, one of them turns around to wink at him.

He recalled his dad asking two Hooters waitresses to take a photo with him, kissing him on the cheeks. And... As he recounts it to me, they look at him, can tell he's uncomfortable, and say, we think he'd prefer this instead. They gave him bunny ears. And then as they're walking away, one of them turns around to wink at him.

He recalled his dad asking two Hooters waitresses to take a photo with him, kissing him on the cheeks. And... As he recounts it to me, they look at him, can tell he's uncomfortable, and say, we think he'd prefer this instead. They gave him bunny ears. And then as they're walking away, one of them turns around to wink at him.

And as he describes it to me, from that moment forward, he viewed Hooters as his safe space. And I'm quoting him there. He said it was his quote-unquote safe space. After that dinner, he looked forward to going to Hooters.

And as he describes it to me, from that moment forward, he viewed Hooters as his safe space. And I'm quoting him there. He said it was his quote-unquote safe space. After that dinner, he looked forward to going to Hooters.

And as he describes it to me, from that moment forward, he viewed Hooters as his safe space. And I'm quoting him there. He said it was his quote-unquote safe space. After that dinner, he looked forward to going to Hooters.

Amazing. This one gentleman I spoke with shared how when he was just nine years old, his parents took him to a Hooters in Atlantic City. And as he expressed it to me, it was very obvious that he was gay. And his parents kept encouraging him to flirt with their waitress. In fact, they... pushed the waitress to flirt with him, again, a nine-year-old child.

Amazing. This one gentleman I spoke with shared how when he was just nine years old, his parents took him to a Hooters in Atlantic City. And as he expressed it to me, it was very obvious that he was gay. And his parents kept encouraging him to flirt with their waitress. In fact, they... pushed the waitress to flirt with him, again, a nine-year-old child.

Amazing. This one gentleman I spoke with shared how when he was just nine years old, his parents took him to a Hooters in Atlantic City. And as he expressed it to me, it was very obvious that he was gay. And his parents kept encouraging him to flirt with their waitress. In fact, they... pushed the waitress to flirt with him, again, a nine-year-old child.

And later in the meal, he excuses himself to use the restroom. The waitress finds him, kneels down and asks him if he's okay. He says, yes, she smiles. And as he puts it to me, it was one of the most important moments of his life. And he still lives in Atlantic City. And every time he passes that Hooters, he thinks back on it and reflects on that moment.

And later in the meal, he excuses himself to use the restroom. The waitress finds him, kneels down and asks him if he's okay. He says, yes, she smiles. And as he puts it to me, it was one of the most important moments of his life. And he still lives in Atlantic City. And every time he passes that Hooters, he thinks back on it and reflects on that moment.

And later in the meal, he excuses himself to use the restroom. The waitress finds him, kneels down and asks him if he's okay. He says, yes, she smiles. And as he puts it to me, it was one of the most important moments of his life. And he still lives in Atlantic City. And every time he passes that Hooters, he thinks back on it and reflects on that moment.

I spoke to a number of Hooters waitresses too who echoed all of these accounts. Lucy Wilkinson, who's quoted in the piece, who's been a server at Hooters for a number of years, said that she has witnessed this phenomenon many, many times to the extent that she now goes out of her way to comfort the queer kids that she sees being brought in by their family members.

I spoke to a number of Hooters waitresses too who echoed all of these accounts. Lucy Wilkinson, who's quoted in the piece, who's been a server at Hooters for a number of years, said that she has witnessed this phenomenon many, many times to the extent that she now goes out of her way to comfort the queer kids that she sees being brought in by their family members.

I spoke to a number of Hooters waitresses too who echoed all of these accounts. Lucy Wilkinson, who's quoted in the piece, who's been a server at Hooters for a number of years, said that she has witnessed this phenomenon many, many times to the extent that she now goes out of her way to comfort the queer kids that she sees being brought in by their family members.

Yeah, what I've learned in the past week or so is that there is a hell of a lot of love for Hooters out there, particularly from queer folks. And it's especially funny because I think if you just look at pop culture from Saturday Night Live to American Dad to Joe Rogan, the Hooters waitress is not presented well. She is depicted as a dim person.

Yeah, what I've learned in the past week or so is that there is a hell of a lot of love for Hooters out there, particularly from queer folks. And it's especially funny because I think if you just look at pop culture from Saturday Night Live to American Dad to Joe Rogan, the Hooters waitress is not presented well. She is depicted as a dim person.

Yeah, what I've learned in the past week or so is that there is a hell of a lot of love for Hooters out there, particularly from queer folks. And it's especially funny because I think if you just look at pop culture from Saturday Night Live to American Dad to Joe Rogan, the Hooters waitress is not presented well. She is depicted as a dim person.

I say in the piece, vacant-eyed succubus, a wannabe Stepford wife. And what I heard time and again from all of these queer people in my inbox was that perception is a slander as lazy as it is persistent. These women genuinely care, earnestly care about the folks who come into their restaurants and go out of their way to make everyone feel as comfortable and as welcome as possible, queer or not.