Free Republic

It's already a struggle being an artist and a business owner, but the second-generation owner of Windflower Florist is adding another title to his name — wingman. "I would like to think of myself as the wingman of all men in Singapore," exclaims 30-year-old Stanley Tan. "Just think about it. If you want to give your girl flowers, I'm here to make sure that your bouquets are fresh and deliver exactly what you want," he tells AsiaOne. His most memorable wingman experience? A four-hour bouquet delivery that he undertook personally after his parents handed over the reins to him in...

Your grievances could be worth millions, to the ACLU. The legendary "public interest" lawyers are suing a florist from the state of Washington for refusing to do floral designs for an "alternative" wedding. "The attorneys’ fees in the case alone come to one to two million dollars," the florist, Barronelle Stutzman, said in the other Washington--D.C.--last week at a conference sponsored by the Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF), which is representing her. Of course, the case could bankrupt Mrs. Stutzman and her husband. By the way, ADF works pro bono, or free. "Barronelle Stutzman, the sole owner of Arlene's Flowers...

It turns out some Muslim-owned bakeries are no more willing to create wedding cakes for same-sex ceremonies than their Christian counterparts. Conservative podcast host Steven Crowder posted hidden-camera video Thursday showing employees at several Muslim-owned bakeries in Dearborn, Michigan, declining his business or referring him to other shops when he asked for a wedding cake with the message “Ben and Steven forever.” Which was fine with Mr. Crowder. “I’m not even saying these Muslim bakeries shouldn’t have a right to do whatever they did — they absolutely should — and many more of them would than Christian bakeries,” he said...

A Washington grandmother and florist of 40 years who refused to service gay weddings because of her faith will now be forced to arrange flowers for gay ceremonies, a judge ruled Wednesday. On top of that, the woman, Barronelle Stutzman, will have to pay the legal penalties imposed by the judge as well as attorney’s fees. Benton County Superior Court Judge Alex Ekstrom ruled in a summary judgement that Stutzman violated anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws. Ekstrom ruled that the gay couple could collect penalties not just from her business, but also from her personally, according to Alliance Defending Freedom,...

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)Denying services to same-sex couples may soon become legal in Kansas. House Bill 2453 explicitly protects religious individuals, groups and businesses that refuse services to same-sex couples, particularly those looking to tie the knot. It passed the state's Republican-dominated House on Wednesday with a vote of 72-49, and has gone to the Senate for a vote. Such a law may seem unnecessary in a state where same-sex marriage is banned, but some Kansas lawmakers think different. They want to prevent religious individuals and organizations from getting sued, or otherwise punished, for not providing goods or services to gay couples --...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spent $2,993 in taxpayer money on flowers between June and October. House Majority Whip James Clyburn has a thing for Chantilly Donuts, spending about $500 at the Virginia shop in the past quarter. And Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), a fiscal conservative, decided to give about $2,000 in unused office funds back to the government to help reduce the deficit. These expenditures – culled from thousands of line items released Monday by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House – are just a fraction of the $300 million spent last quarter by House offices. But while...