Utah Restaurant Bans Mississippi Raised Food Items

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A Salt Lake City restaurant is banning food associated with Mississippi to protest the state’s new law allowing businesses to refuse service to gay customers.

KUTV-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1qGySry ) that Cucina has vowed to no longer serve sweet potatoes, Mississippi’s state food; American alligator, Mississippi’s state reptile; white tail deer, the state mammal; or large-mouth bass, the state fish.

Deli owner Dean Pierose III acknowledges that most of the exotic foods were not on the menu to begin with. He says their exclusion is part of a tongue-in-cheek protest of a serious issue.

Cucina’s sweet potato fires, however, are no more.

The restaurant is also banning magnolias and will escort anyone caught performing Mississippi’s state dance, clogging, off the property.

In a statement, Cucina said discriminating against LGBT people is “absolutely wrong.”

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