TEMPLE, Texas — The month of June is designated as Pride Month to honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. There are events happening daily across the country including at Fajita Kings in Temple.
Fajita Kings is putting work in on the grill: Serving fajitas, quesadillas, and good times. The restaurant offers specials every day of the week, but Wednesday has a deeper meaning.
"We're just doing like a little celebration," said Dondrea Holley, a waitress at Fajita Kings. "We want everyone to come here, feel comfortable, be themselves, meet new people and get a different surrounding."
Wonderful Wednesday at Fajita Kings offers those in the LGBTQ+ community a safe place and affirmation.
"Anybody can be themselves here, we don't judge nobody here, we take everybody as they come," said the restaurant's manager Citlalli Sanchez.
Sanchez and a few of her co-workers are part of the community themselves; using Pride Month as the perfect time to honor and celebrate with anybody and everybody, even those who oppose.
"Not everybody is going to support, but we want to welcome those who don't feel supported," Sanchez added.
They're rising above the negatives, something that has been felt across Central Texas.
"In general, it hasn't been strongly anti-LGBT or at least not overtly anti-LGBT," said Reverend Charley Garrison.
Garrison with the Central Texas Metropolitan Community Church in Waco has had numerous phone calls pushing back against LGBTQ+ and the congregation's theology.
"We should live in a country and in a community in which everybody is treated equally and it doesn't sound like that's the sort of attitude that goes along with that," he said.
Garrison is glad to know there are businesses opening their doors in support of LGBTQ+, especially during Pride Month, but for Fajita Kings -- the culture and attitude will go way past June.
"I think we should continue to let them know like, it wasn't just this one time that we're going to be supporting y'all, but all the way throughout the year that y'all have our support and our love," said Holley.
Fajita Kings is considering keeping the event going past Pride Month and making it every Wednesday night.