It was a regular shopping day at Whole Foods in St. Louis when Anya Popov and her sister-in-law Larissa heard their daughters coming out of the female restroom in fear. The girls said they saw a bearded individual in the ladies’ room.
As they were enjoying pizza in the store’s cafe, their daughters showed distress, exclaiming, “Mommy, mommy, there’s a man in the bathroom!” This prompted the mothers to investigate the distressing claim.
Anya recounts the moment, saying, “We ran to the bathroom, and we saw a man washing hands. We questioned, ‘Excuse me, sir, what are you doing in the woman’s bathroom?’” The individual in question replied, “I’m transitioning,” leaving the mothers shocked.
With their daughters frightened, Anya responded, “If you’re a man, use a man’s bathroom.” “I’m still confused. I’m not sure who that is, who she or they are transitioning into, but looking like a man, use a man’s bathroom, she said.” The tense exchange continued, with Larissa expressing her sorrow for the individual’s circumstances as she encouraged them to embrace their identity in Christ.
The situation escalated when a store manager intervened, insisting that the Popov sisters must vacate the premises. Anya recalled, “The manager comes up to us and says, ‘You must leave the store now.’ I said, ‘Excuse me, why? She said, ‘You harassed my employee.’” Despite their assurances that they simply expressed concern for their children, the manager was adamant about expelling them.
Lamenting the further degeneration of the conversation, Anya described, “I said, ‘Ma’am, I come from a communist country. I came here for religious freedom.’” This sentiment echoed both mothers’ feelings of being cornered and stifled in their rights as concerned parents.
In a bizarre twist, the encounter concluded with a formal letter from Whole Foods, a month after the incident, banning them from all Whole Foods locations. Both women had their pictures included in the warning, leaving them stunned at what appeared to be a gross overreaction to their parental concerns.
The aftermath of the situation found the Popov sisters reflecting on their next steps and the implications of corporate mandates on individual beliefs. They expressed a hope for constructive dialogue and a better understanding of family values in corporate America.
As both mothers navigate these challenges, they emphasize the importance of speaking out against what they view as an alarming trend in public spaces. “Our religious freedom is being suppressed,” they lamented, highlighting the need to advocate for safety and freedom of expression in all environments.
Ultimately, Larissa and Anya’s plea remains simple: in the face of such polarizing policies, the protection of children and the right of parents to voice their concerns must be prioritized. “We just want some justice, and we want to shine light on this issue,” Anya stated, urging others in similar situations to consider the implications of silence and inaction.
