A purported social media post from a Clovis business went viral over the weekend for claiming it would not serve the “transgender/transvestite” community.

Efforts to find out if “Dubb’s BBQ” is an actual brick-and-mortar business or food truck in Clovis turned up nothing. The post appeared to originate from an Instagram account called “dubbs_bbq,” but it’s not clear if the account was deleted or if it ever existed.

Chad McCollum, City of Clovis communications director, said Monday there is no license in Clovis for a business by that name. No one at Clovis City Hall has any knowledge of a food truck operating by that name, he said.

There’s no record of such a business on the Fresno County Health Department website for restaurant inspections.

I’m sorry I’m sharing this but I thought everyone needs to know.

This is why your beliefs don’t automatically get respect. Fuck your beliefs and cry about it. pic.twitter.com/dVpq99tuLY

— 🇨🇦Courtney Heard (she/her) (@godless_mom) June 3, 2023

The post set off a firestorm on platforms including Twitter and Reddit, garnering thousands of comments — most of them angry that a business would take such a stance.

Rightfully so.

Some of the comments pointed toward a local Realtor as being involved with Dubb’s BBQ. Efforts to reach this person were unsuccessful Monday morning.

It’s entirely possible that “Dubb’s BBQ” could be operating or have operated on a “pop-up” basis. But it looks like this could be the product of someone with the intent to create controversy. Indeed, after the situation blew up on the internet Saturday, someone created a troll Twitter account purported to be run by Dubb’s BBQ to further stir the pot.

This troll account even posted that their food truck would be parked at local businesses — ones that so happen to be friendly to the LGBTQ+ community. Obviously, that’s going to draw some heat to those businesses. Going off some of our reporting and the City of Clovis spokesperson, it doesn’t look like these businesses have reported being subject to calls of protest — yet.

There’s never a good time to spread misinformation on the internet, but it’s even more malicious to do this at the start of Pride Month.

Just another reminder to not believe everything you see on the internet.