The ABC hidden camera show, ‘What Would You Do?’ captured the reactions of customers at a restaurant when one couple refuse to tip their waitress. The scenario comes at a time when there is a wave of media coverage involving religious beliefs and LGBT+ rights.

The segment is based on a 2017 incident where a couple refused to tip their waitress because she had a rainbow equality sign tattoo. The diners wrote, “Can’t tip someone who doesn’t love Jesus!”.

The show features a pair of actors playing a religious couple, and an actress, who is actually a lesbian, playing the waitress.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBktuMXV00[/embedyt]

During the video, the wife compliments the waitress’ ring and asks what her husband does. The waitress corrects her, saying that her “wife is an accountant.”

The couple immediately become judgemental. Customers jump in, telling the couple that they “don’t need to be having this conversation with her right now.”

While the first customers don’t tolerate the couple’s homophobic behaviour, not everyone finds it distasteful. One customer says, “Look at it this way, they can’t have any kids. Nature takes care of it all by itself. So, eventually, they’ll wipe themselves out. Give it time…”

“I’m glad she’s not my daughter,” says a different customer. “Seems like a waste.”

Later in the segment, the actors write on the receipt to tell the waitress they won’t be tipping because “we don’t tip sinners”. Listening customers jump in, asking, “her life doesn’t impact your life, does it?”

Further customers come to the waitress’ defence, telling the religious couple that her life doesn’t affect them while another says even if the woman’s sexuality might be a sin, the couple aren’t treating her with kindness which is also considered immoral.

One man instructs the homophobic man to leave or he would “drop you like a hot potato…” while his two companions offer to pay for their meal if they are so disgusted and give the waitress a hug.

In the end, the waitress tearfully says, “It’s nice to see other people, even if they don’t feel the same way, you know, that they support you.”