A Fargo coffee shop has taken down a sign mocking North Dakota lawmakers and jokingly banning them from the parlor for voting against an anti-discrimination bill.

Joe Curry, a part owner of the Red Raven Espresso Parlor, says the tongue-in-cheek ban served its purpose by fostering discussion.

Curry posted the sign after the state House on April 2 killed a proposed law that would have prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, government, public services and the workplace. The sign joked that any of the 55 Republicans who voted against the bill could only be served there if accompanied by a member of the LGBT community.

But some didn't like the approach, including a Democrat who is North Dakota's only openly gay state lawmaker and a Red Raven regular.

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