Couple Fined For Refusing To Host Gay Wedding

[Butterfly]

Well, I don't think a person's sexual orientation, religion, or anything else should be used to discriminate against him in a business place. Either we are all equal or we are not -- we can't be all equal except for those who have religions or lifestyles with which we do not agree.

 

[Davey Jones]

When the gay community start to force their belief on non gays then its time to completely ignore them,I would bake a cake for them but dont push it.

 

[ClassicRockr]

Yes, they do have a habit of PUSHING their belief onto non gays. But, then again, some religious groups push their beliefs too much on others. Guess we just live in a society where people believe "pushing" is the only way to make their point about something.

 

[Jackie22]

I don't think gays are pushing their 'beliefs' on others.......homosexuality is not a belief, no more than being black is a belief, now, religion is a belief.......I think they want the SAME RIGHTS as anyone else, not for you or me to believe like they do.....they have the RIGHT to be treated (and that means buying a cake in an establishment that is open for business with the public) as anyone else. It is my opinion that they are being discriminated against and apparently it is their opinion too.

 

[Debby]

Well, just another highly controversial thing dealing with the Gay & Lesbian community. IMO, the couple had the right to not do the wedding due to their Christian beliefs. But, it does seem odd that they would allow the Reception. We don't believe in Gay Marriage and that is our choice to feel that way. As for me, I use to work for a Lesbian couple, in-charge of their horse boarding stables. But, when boarders started giving them some slack for walking around holding hands and arms around each other, it was time for this dude to move on. I didn't like seeing this "out-in-the-open" affection either, but didn't say anything.

I remember walking into a sporting goods store wearing the baseball cap of a competitor store and was asked to take the competitor's cap off. I didn't give a "hassle", just took it off and smiles and continued shopping with my wife. The way I looked at it, it was their business and if they didn't want to see a competitors baseball cap in the store, they had every right to ask me, and they did ask me nicely, to remove it.

I believe it's up to the business owner/owners how they want to handle their business and who they want to serve. Like I said, IMO.

How about if that couple hadn't liked black people? Would it be okay to refuse to serve a black couple? Or what about if their religion believed woman should stay at home and only the men were allowed to do business and that bakery then refused to sell to a woman who came in to buy bread? Is that okay?

 

[Debby]

Yes, they do have a habit of PUSHING their belief onto non gays. But, then again, some religious groups push their beliefs too much on others. Guess we just live in a society where people believe "pushing" is the only way to make their point about something.

I'll bet if you could ask, you'd find that most gay or lesbian people just want to live their lives in safety and have equal access to the law just like you do. I had a yoga teacher for a couple years who was a lesbian and she was fabulous and no different with her partner than I am with mine(husband). Holding hands, a peck on the cheek ..... what's the harm there? There was also another gay couple in the town we lived in and they were real nice, regular folks.

Now if you were telling us that the couple who owned the barn were regularly throwing one another down in the hay for a romp where they intruded on the sensibilities of one and all, that would be a different thing. But then I'd hold the same attitude on that one if it was a man and a woman.

 

[Debby]

Of course it is, just as discriminating against one's right to follow their religious belief should be treated equally. As I implied earlier, how can the Northern Ireland Baker be accused of discriminating against Gays by refusing to endorse the same sex marriage cause only. He is adamant that he is not against Gays but will not be complicit in endorsing same-sex marriage which he believes is wrong.
I believe that Gay Rights in Northern Ireland are doing their cause no good by picking on the Bakers rights to not be involved in their cause. They are fighting to get the same-sex marriage act through but it seems to me that they are taking one step forward and two steps back because people hate bullies and this certainly seems a case of straightforward bullying ! Rights belong to everyone, not just Gays.

Then how do you propose that gay people or any group that society has a problem with, confront and cause change in the status quo? If all the naysayers can just say no and face no consequences, is it reasonable to expect that the gay people or ? just slink away and accept their second class citizen status? Should the black people have just accepted sitting at the back of the bus or the water fountain behind the store?


The only way that effective change ever happens in any society is when some are courageous enough to step out and force change.
I think it's pretty good that these people didn't just take the easy, 'less conflict' route on these issues and took the matters to court. What they did will help in the next situation and maybe in the future, we will really have a more inclusive society that looks more at the humanity of us all than at the differences between us. Think how peaceful that could be! It would be a wonderful world wouldn't it?

 

[Butterfly]

No, from what I understand, they wanted to marry in Massachusetts and celebrate with family and friends back home in Colorado. They wanted to order the cake for their upcoming wedding reception. Regardless of their plans, what business is it of the baker? His job, according to his business, is to make cakes for his customers, not to nose into their private lives.

Well said, Sea Breeze. I totally agree.