Indy bakery update: Refusal to fill order for gay event not discriminatory

[AngryOldDem]

http://www.indystar.com/article/20101009/LOCAL18/10090345/Cookie-shop-can-refuse-gays-order-law-s-authors-say

<<Refusing to fill a special cookie order for a political event does not amount to discrimination, the authors of a city ordinance to protect gays and lesbians said Friday.

The authors of the city's human rights ordinance, which the City-County Council passed in 2005 and which includes guarantees for equality regardless of sexual orientation, caution against an overly broad interpretation. Businesses also have the right to turn down requests to support causes in which they do not believe, says the letter, which also was signed by Scott Keller, a former Republican council member and co-sponsor of the ordinance, along with members of Indiana Equality, an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers.

"In our view, it would be wrong to force a business to support a political project with which they do not agree," the letter says. For example, the letter says, the Jewish owner of a printing company should not be required to print posters for an anti-Jewish hate group.<<
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The city (the business is located on city-owned property) is continuing its investigation of what happened, but it seems to me that the Jewish analogy really doesn't fit with what happened here. But my money spends just as well at other bakeries, so when I'm downtown I'll be discriminatory myself and not go to this particular establishment.

Just thought I'd post an update since this was one of the hot topics here about a week or so ago.

[southernyankeebelle]

1. World would I spend my money where they don't want me or my

business. I would make sure all my friends know that the store is run by bigots and please in the future don't spend your money there. Protest by not buying.

[wtmusic]

2. The mayor's stance brought it the publicity it needed, at least. nt

[CC]

3. I,m not in the area or

I would make it a point to avoid this bakery and make it a point to let everyone I knew know why. Can you picket since it is city property? Just a few people with big signs standing quietly in front of the bakery or outside each entry way to the market. The free speech thing ya know.


Its a hard one to enforce on some types of private business because most assholes have enough sense to lie and say something like they are over booked with orders etc. This guy is either stupid or really that hateful. sigh

[AngryOldDem]

7. Two guys did form a protest.

Caught on with Facebook, but nothing much else came of it.

And to your second point, when the media began covering this story, the wife said they refused the order because they don't make cupcakes. Okay. But then the husband piped up that it was because he didn't approve of the gay lifestyle, and that his kids (in their late teens) were impressionable and he didn't want them exposed to it.

:crazy:

[TheMadMonk]

4. Exactly. They (like it or lump it) have the same right to discriminate as you.

It's called voting with your feet. (If other choices exist, then choose them.)

Personally, I don't generally have a problem with "exclusive discriminaton" that affects the discriminator's bottom line without seriously impacting the "victim" of that discrimination.

If it's a necessary/critical service (utilities/health (including pharmacy)/etc) then no discrimination should be permitted. Under, that umbrella the same goes for employment opportunity. Provided someone in town is willing to provide a non-critical (such as cookie baking) service at a non-discriminatory price let the rest close their doors to business.

If the owner of a restaurant wants to declare no blacks allowed, then let him. FFS an arsehole like that is as likely as not to apply an "unwelcome" customer's steak to the crevase between his hairy gluets out of sheer spite. Why the fuck would anyone who has sense of a labrador pup WANT to do business with such a prick, or even force him to do business with them?

And if given such permissions, biggots do prove to be an overwhelming barrier to "minorities" outside of the odd hick town, then a nation has on its hands a problem that George Bush's "God damned piece of paper" WILL NOT SOLVE.

[Ozymanithrax]

5. Since when is selling someone cookies supporting their ideology?

In spite of the face on the bill, money has no gender.
I am baffled by the convoluted logic in this, because it appears like good old fashioned prejudice, just like the signs I saw in barber shops as a young man that said, "If your a hippy get your hair cut somewheres else."

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. I'd be afraid the baker would spit in the batter or something