Brandon Straka, who gained fame as the face of the new #WalkAway movement urging people to leave liberalism, says he has been denied service while trying to buy a camera and other equipment.
“I’m shaking right now. I just went into a camera store to buy a camera and a light and mic, etc. and they recognized me from tv. I was refused service because they said it was for ‘alt right’ purposes. That literally just happened,” Straka wrote on Twitter on July 5, 2018. He did not identify the store in the tweet but told BigLeaguePolitics that it was Adorama.
He told the site that, although one employee allegedly refused to serve him, another completed the sale. He said a customer recognized him from Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox News.
He also wrote, “Favor- PLZ do not retaliate against this camera shop. All of the other employees could not have been nicer. The reason I decided 2go forward w/ the story is because I hope 2open a conversation between me &gays on the left. I’m about EMPOWERING gay people.”
I’m shaking right now. I just went into a camera store to buy a camera and a light and mic, etc. and they recognized me from tv. I was refused service because they said it was for “alt right” purposes. That literally just happened.
He then posted this message and photo:
What happened to me today will NOT slow me down or deter me in any way. We will prevail.
#WalkAway
Here’s what you need to know:
People Are Urging Straka to Name the Store
The tweet immediately started to go viral, with many people in the comment thread urging Straka to name the store, as President Donald Trump’s Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did when she was asked to leave a Lexington, Virginia restaurant named the Red Hen. Sanders’ ouster from the restaurant sparked a firestorm of controversy as the owner defended herself by saying she felt she had to take a stand because she morally opposes Trump’s actions as president.
Straka’s thread filled up with comments of support. “They are losing, so they will use any means necessary to stop you. It wont work. The GREAT Awakening is happening despite their resistance. Im sorry this happened, but let it fuel your amazing drive to get the truth to all corners, all people. ??❤??” wrote one man.
“Please post the store and address. It didn’t work out so well for the Red Hen. We have your back…#WalkAway,” wrote another. Heavy has reached out to Straka for comment.
Straka Gained Fame By Urging People to Leave Liberalism Behind
The movement Brandon Straka is trying to create is called the #WalkAway Campaign. He has said that “negative rhetoric spoken by the left and intolerance it has shown has been a big reason as to why he’s walked away,” according to Fox News.
A video featuring Straka starts, “Once upon time I became a liberal.” You can watch it above. “I reject tyrannical groupthink,” he says in the video, which has had more than 500,000 views on YouTube.
Daily Beast reports that Straka was a stylist in New York City before becoming an activist. On Twitter, he defines himself as “Campaign Founder. Former Liberal. Gay. Conservative. Outspoken. And on a mission to #RedPill humanity ?.” On Facebook, Straka writes that he “Studied Cosmetology at Aveda Institute New York.”
On Facebook, he wrote, “Approaching 10,000 views and almost 400 shares in 3 days. Not bad!! But let’s really kick this campaign into high gear!!! Please share this post and include a message encouraging others to watch the video and read the attached post with details and info about the #WalkAway campaign!!”
He also an aspiring actor and hairdresser.
Some Conservatives Have Been Denied Service in Recent Months
GettySarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen Lexington.
There have been other incidents conservatives finding an unwelcome response in public spaces in recent months. An employee at a Vancouver restaurant was fired after he was accused of asking a customer to remove a MAGA hat if he wanted to be served. That incident came on the heels of President Donald Trump’s Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders being asked to leave a Lexington, Virginia restaurant where she was dining with members of her family. Other people who work for Trump, such as Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, have been confronted in restaurants in recent weeks. You can watch video of the Nielsen confrontation here.
In April 2018, a New York judge dismissed a lawsuit from a man who says he was denied service at a bar in that state because he was wearing a MAGA hat, which the bar denies. In addition, Democratic Rep. Maxine Water is under fire for urging people to confront Trump supporters wherever they see them.
In San Antonio, a teenager named Hunter Richard said a man took his MAGA hat and threw a drink on him at a Whataburger restaurant.