Watch: Gay Waiter Gets Slur Instead of Tip and Customer Apologizes after Backlash

A gay waiter in Wichita, Kansas was the recipient of a hateful message in place of a tip – but after a barrage of chiding, the customer who scrawled the slur offered an apology.

19-year-old server Noah Bierig "was serving a group of young men when he felt at least one seemed like he staring at his painted nails and pride bracelet, giving him glaring looks," UK newspaper the Daily Mail reported.

"The group exuded negative energy from the beginning," the New York Post detailed. "Bierig noticed in particular that they were staring at his painted nails and a Pride bracelet, which was a gift his mother gave him when he came out as gay six years earlier."

"The first time I went up to the table, they were just shooting me a couple dirty looks," Bierig recalled to local news station KAKE. "And every time I would walk away, they would kind of just start laughing a little bit."

But, handling the situation like a professional, Bierig "did his best to serve the table like any other, despite being uncomfortable," the Daily Mail said.

His efforts seemingly went unappreciated.

"After they left," the Daily Mail relayed, Bierig "was shocked to find one of the group's receipts had no tip, and that the line was instead filled in with the word 'f*g.'"

The slur "hurt me a lot," Bierig admitted in comments to KAKE. "'I'm not the type to cry at work, but I got to say - that was definitely the first time that had happened to me."

A friend of the teenage server took action, posting a photo of the charge slip online with the customer's name in full view together with the homophobic slur.

The result, the Mail noted, was that "a horde of outraged onlookers barraged the customer with messages that aired their distaste."

James Blick took to Facebook to offer his side of the story and tender his apologies.

"I know it was wrong of me to write what I did," Blick posted on his now-deleted account, the Mail detailed. Blick added that he was "very sorry" for the slur, but added that "The overall dining experience wasn't that great."

Still, "I shouldn't have dealt with it by saying what I did," Blick's post continued, before claiming that Blick "did try to call the restaurant to apologize to the guy but couldn't contact him."

"I am very sorry to anyone who was affected or hurt by my words," Blick added, before noting that his wife, Madison, had accompanied him during the meal in question and was now getting "harassed" despite having "nothing to do with any of it."

"I hope people can find it in their hearts to forgive me," Blick's post added. "I want to make this right."

Bierig's employer and his friends have taken further action to correct the situation, the Mail said, noting that the server's "friends set up an online fundraiser through the town's LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce that's raised thousands of dollars."

The fundraiser takes the form of different percentages of the $18.94 bill that Blick signed for. Donors can opt to contribute tips ranging from 20% to 100% of that sum.

Bierig said that money sent in to the fundraiser will be donated, and added that the restaurant where he works has pledged matching donations to GLSEN, an organization that works to affirm and uphold LGBTQ+ youth and prevent bullying in schools.

To watch the KAKE news clip, follow this link.