Posted on 06/10/2013 7:09:20 AM PDT by kimtom
DENVER A gay couple is pursuing a discrimination complaint against a Colorado bakery, saying the business refused them a wedding cake to honor their Massachusetts ceremony, and alleging that the owners have a history of turning away same-sex couples.
As more states move to legalize same-sex marriage and civil unions, the case highlights a growing tension between gay rights advocates and supporters of religious freedom.
Religious freedom is a fundamental right in America and its something that we champion at the ACLU, said Mark Silverstein, the legal director of the group in .....
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
From the start, I kept a sign prominently diplayed in several places in the business that said,
"WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE, AT ANYTIME, FOR ANY REASON"
Laz, I thought you might appreciate this story.
I only had to used it a couple of times. One time was with a woman who was an artist in town. She owned and operated a small book store and had a gallery in the back room. We knew of her, but I'd never been in her store but up until the date of these events we had cordial realtions with her.
One day she came in and asked me what it would cost to print 500 posters of a 17" x 34" painting she had made. I asked her if it was a full color, or limited color or black and white painting. She said it was full color.
I asked her to step back to printing press room where we had a large layout table so I could see her painting. So, she followed me back and took the painting out of a carrier and showed it to me. I was appalled.
It was a painting of several nude women engaging in some of the most disgusting displays of sexual contact I could have imagined. In fact, up until seeing that filth, I could not have imagined it.
I rolled up her painting, put it back in its carrier, gave it to her, and said, "I'm sorry, my children work with me in this shop, and I have numerous young people and customers who would be appalled at such a painting. In addition, I am personally appalled at it and have to tell you that I will never print such a painting here."
She became quite agitated and indicated that since I was the only Printer in towm at the time, she expected me to print it.
I told her she could "expect," all she wanted but I would not do it.
She started to threaten my business with law suits.
I took her to the front of the store and showed her the sign she had walked underneath to get back to the printing press (the one indicated above) and told her that that sign was made for people like her and then asked her to take her painting and please leave the premises.
She did so, but in a very boisterous manner, continueing to threaten to shut my business down all the way out the door.
A week or ten days later, she showed up with an individual she said was her lawyer. I took them to the sidewalk in front of my store and said I would not discuss the matter on my premisis, but would be happy to briefly discuss it on the sidewalk.
The supposed lawyer proceeded to inform me that a civil law suit could be brouth against me on the grounds I was discriminating against her, and that in addition to "forcing" me to print the painting, that significant punitive damages would also be sought.
I told him, "Look, I stand on my individual rights to do business with whomerver I please and reserve the right to refuse service to whomever I please. That notice has always been prominently displayed in my store. So, go ahead. Knck yourself out. Sue an be damned.
"If you win, I will simply shut the business down, destroy my own equipment, and you will still have to find someone else to do your printing because I will not do it under any circumstances, court order or not...and my equipment will not do it."
I then invited them to be on their way and went back inside my business.
I never heard from her or her "lawyer," again.
There are undetectable drugs that stop hearts ~ but some of these gay guys are into some serious risk taking.
excellent story...everyone should post such sign....
I would have not only printed it, but hung a print up so could see it from my bed.
Discrimination is good. discrimination allows one to shun that which is bad or perceived as bad.
ya, what’s with all these gay wedding cake stories recently? This isn’t the first story of this type. It reeks of an organized attempt to identify certain bakeries, and then target them with lawsuits if they indicate disagreement with homosexual marriage.
I did mean it...and these people knew it.
I can always face bankruptcy or a social stigma if I have to, and then rebuild my business and career.
I cannot easily rebuild my honor and charachter once it is given away under coerscion or for any other reason.
This was foreseeable. Next they will go after the churches that don’t do gay ‘marriages.’
I have some friends in the wedding cake biz, and they simply tell anyone who they don’t want to work with that they aren’t available on the date required.
“Whoops, we’re already booked. Have a nice day.”
I’m sure that every day of the year could be some holiday in some obscure religion... beside Christianity.
They’d have to respect that.
I was thinking the same thing. Should a Jewish baker be required to provide a cake with a swastika on it for a group of neo-nazis?
It is permissible to attack Christian beliefs.
All other “tolerance”, in fact, is based on this goal - to oppose and attack Christian beliefs.
More than that, they want the economic destruction of anyone who doesn't approve of them.
Go Alton Brown bitches.
You are self serving cracker suckers.
There is nothing stopping you from seeking out bakers who will make your “Gake”.
This is all about your bloated and arrogant ego, who seeks only to take advantage of another person, giving you validation for your existence and relevancy by the process.
Pound sand and instead of creating chaos, celebrate your union in the easiest way possible.
Your schtick is getting to be so old and you don’t realize that you are not only making a mockery of your personage but, are freaking making yourselves into objectified poosies.
Further, your creating a further deficit of character that makes you and your crowd, identified by only one subject; that of being animals possessed by a singular focus of an act that comprises a mere 15 minutes of your life, a day or two a week.
Are you fags? Or are you human beings with several and similar interests that are common and shared.
Don’t worry,
Be Gay....
Or just be regular person interested in a variety of things and shared experiences.
You are kicking your own azzez the same way Ellen Degenerres did when she made her comedy show all about being gay.
The schtick got old.
Now she is back to being her brilliant self, with a talk show that interesting and funny.
Bake yer own cake.
Do people realize how stupid this crap is? What a waste of time for society.
Made me laugh, thanks.Still I’m glad the printer had good morals.
Me too. :) Jeff’s the best.
Tell them that the only type of cake available for this is fudge.
Bingo!
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