But is a private employer a private employer, or not?
I'm not defending it. I'm just giving the rationale. It's not completely off base.
However, I do think private employers should have a whole lot more leeway than the government, with the possible exception of for-profit government contractors. If people don't like the fact that a particular private company doesn't hire married women, for example, then they don't have to patronize them, or they can go into competition with them and hire married women. But when we talk about government employers, then I think it really does become a civil rights issue. And since for-profit government contractors are being paid by the taxpayer, I think they should probably be treated like the government in these matters.
Works for me.