Generally this piece on a bill to allow businesses to discriminate against gay people if God tells them it’s OK by Josh Feit is solid. But I have to object to this paragraph:
The bill’s main sponsor is Sen. Sharon Brown (R-8, Kennewick). Brown’s district is the home to a controversy that blew up in March when Barronelle Stutzman, who owns Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, refused to do business for a gay couple.
It makes it sound like the business is in her district but the gay couple just happened to be there. In fact, Senator Brown is prioritizing –or at least is allowing the law to prioritize — businesses in her district that want to discriminate over her constituents who are being discriminated against. This hurtful bill won’t just hurt people in Seattle, or just in King County, or the Puget Sound region, or Western Washington. It hurts people all over the state.
As a gay man, that is just a nasty piece of work.
I personally wouldn’t want to do business with a person that doesn’t think I should exist.
But there are cases where that that bigoted business is a monopoly in the area.
Should the only dentist in a small town be allowed to reject gay patients? Should the only hotel be allowed to reject gay travelers? The parallels to the Black civil rights struggle are there, Not as blatent but similar.
The LGBT community is one of the last groups bigots feel that can openly discriminate against. It’s no longer socially acceptable in wider society to discriminate against minorities, religion, or women or people with disabilities.
@1 – ahhh, yes, but the non homosexuals have superiority, even if they disagree with discrimination, they simply just bystand and don’t speak up.
@1 As another queer – but also as someone raised in the South – I have to take minor exception. There are still plenty of places, not just in the South but all over the country, where people discriminate quite openly based on race, religion, and/or gender. Doesn’t mean it’s legal – which is the difference with sexual minorities – but when the people responsible for enforcing those laws locally are among the biggest bigots, the distinction is meaningless. (And yes, I got the fuck out – but plenty of people, for all sorts of reasons, don’t or can’t.)
Carl’s basic premise is wrong, though. I grew up with people like Ms. Brown. She doesn’t consider LGBTQ’s her constituents. Or, really, citizens at all. Ever. (At least, the ones she knows about…) She likely tries very hard to pretend we don’t exist, but, when confronted with the fact of our existence, is willing to take more proactive measures to be able to continue to pretend we don’t exist. Or worse.
What will GOPers come up with next?
http://tinyurl.com/dxyaetc
Gman @ 1,
“yes, but the non homosexuals have superiority, even if they disagree with discrimination, they simply just bystand and don’t speak up.”
Hmmm…you posted this in a comment thread on a blog post written by a “non homosexual” speaking up.
Are you a 12-year-old? Or is this some kind of mental health issue for you?
@5 – go ahead attack me in stead of giving any light to the possible problem on hand.
I keep counting and it only looks like 11 total senators have their heads up their asses.
Maybe its just time to boycott the areas of the state they represent.
@6 Only if, when you avoid the area, you contacted the businesses you would have spent money with and and politely inform them because of the actions of their politicians, that you are forced to spend your money some where else.
Be nice but tell every level of management you can reach, that you are voting with your dollars. And you telling all of your friends about it. And you are blogging about it.
I don’t know if it will make much of a difference, but it will be a data point for those businesses.
Gman @6,
“go ahead attack me in stead of giving any light to the possible problem on hand.”
You’re confused. The comment thread is for discussion, not for “giving light”. That’s what the post is for.
You made a claim that “non homosexuals….just bystand and don’t speak up,” a claim that is falsified by the post itself.
How much of an idiot does that make you?
Thanks Carl. Darryl go screw in a light bulb.