“As a merchant, I will sell my goods and services to whomever I choose, at such time as I choose, under such circumstances as I choose. As long as my customer or client is in agreement, we have a deal.”
Um...no. That isn’t even close to being true. You wouldn’t stand a chance in court with that argument.
Businesses are heavily regulated. Those regulations include who you sell what to, when you sell it and for what price. Just try advertising apartments for rent to only Catholics, or whites, or heterosexuals, or Republicans...you won’t own an apartment very long! For that fact, try selling your car and advertising that only white male heterosexual Catholics are allowed to bid. Just make sure you can pay the fines!
So...in your world, I can be compelled to enter into a transaction despite my own inclination to avoid same? In that case, nothing would preclude a penniless person from coming into my restaurant, demanding a steak dinner and refusing to pay because I am discriminating against the poor.
There is absolutely NO law of which I’m aware that compels me to enter into any sort of transaction with someone if I choose to say ‘No’.
I believe your point is that I may be guilty of some manner of discrimination if the person I choose to avoid is clad in the armor of some protected minority. That only makes (a smidgen of) sense if it is an ongoing pattern of behavior, and even then I’d suggest that it’s wrongheaded.
I am fully aware of laws and regulations that assure minorities of fair access to competitive bidding processes, and in employment, housing, etc. But, I don’t believe they extend to the conduct of free commercial activities. Add the obvious religious component of the instant case, and I believe it will be even more obvious that this commission erred on the side of political correctness.
We’ll have to disagree on this one. Good day.