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An Indiana tax preparer turned away a same-sex couple, citing religious beliefs
Business Insider ^ | 02/26/2019 | Susanna Heller

Posted on 02/26/2019 10:01:28 AM PST by SeekAndFind

When Samantha and Bailey Brazzel set out to file their taxes last week, they anticipated it would be business as usual.

The women set out to Carter Tax Services, but when they tried to file their taxes as a married couple they were turned away, Samantha told INSIDER.

Nancy Fivecoate, who owns the business, said that she could not file their taxes because same-sex marriage goes against her religious beliefs, the IndyStar reported.

"It was not something that we expected," Samantha said

In fact, the women were shocked. Bailey had filed her taxes with the Indiana business for the last four years, Samantha said. The previous year, Bailey introduced Samantha to Fivecoat as her girlfriend and there was no issue.

Samantha said that Fivecoate took specific issue with the women's marriage. "She said, 'No I'm sorry I can't do that it goes against my beliefs. I'm a Christian. I believe marriage is between one man, one woman. So she just said no I can't do that,'" Samantha recounted.

Apparently, this is not the first time this has happened at Carter Tax Services. Fivecoate told the women that she has turned couples away before and that "she would file gay people's taxes, but not if they were married," Samantha said.

In the moments after being rejected, they were shocked. The women left and later got their taxes filed at an H&R Block. But they were left with an uneasy feeling.

"If our marriage is legal and just as valid as anybody else's, how are we able to discriminated against like this?" said Samantha. "Why aren't their laws forbidding this?"

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: indiana; lgbt; mikepence; taxpreparation
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1 posted on 02/26/2019 10:01:33 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

FROM THIS ARTICLE:

In Indiana, in particular, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was signed in by then-governor Mike Pence.

The law says that the government cannot interfere with a person’s religion unless it can prove a compelling reason to do so. Critics of the act said that this could lead to discrimination— especially against LGTBQ people by businesses.


2 posted on 02/26/2019 10:02:13 AM PST by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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To: SeekAndFind

Samantha and Bailey Brazzel


3 posted on 02/26/2019 10:03:32 AM PST by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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To: SeekAndFind

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


4 posted on 02/26/2019 10:05:13 AM PST by dp0622 (The Left should know if.. Trump is kicked out of office, it is WAR!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Where’s that gif where the homo is beating the baker, screaming “Bake the cake?” Freedom of association is history in this country.


5 posted on 02/26/2019 10:06:22 AM PST by backwoods-engineer (Enjoy the decline of the American empire.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Is it criminal to act in a self preserving manner?

Would you provide services to someone infected with ebola, or wasted on meth/bath salts?

Is it criminal to refuse to accept services from individuals we deem unsafe? Why is it criminal to not provide?

6 posted on 02/26/2019 10:06:28 AM PST by rawcatslyentist ("All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing")
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh geez, not this Stuff again.

And they go into predictable outrage mode. Besare of offending the sensibilities of any politically correct people.

Other shoe will drop when this tax preparer gets sued.


7 posted on 02/26/2019 10:08:55 AM PST by Dilbert San Diego
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh, I’m sure Sam will find a good lawyer to sue and help her lick the latest problem in her life.

She did get her taxes done, just let it go, Sam.


8 posted on 02/26/2019 10:09:13 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Monthly Donors Rock!!!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Putting aside one’s views on whether same sex marriage is morally wrong or right, this case is going to be harder to defend from a legal perspective. This is a denial of services based on legal marital status. It won’t fit into the same legal category as baking a cake, which some courts have classified as artistic work. This is more along the lines of a restaurant refusing to serve a gay person or a gay couple.


9 posted on 02/26/2019 10:11:17 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: SeekAndFind
So now, in addition to:
1. Bake my cake!
2. Arrange my flowers!
3. Host my "wedding" party!
4. Put us up in your B&B and change my sheets!
5. Take my picture!
6. ... have to be forgetting something...

we have to add "File our taxes!"?

10 posted on 02/26/2019 10:13:16 AM PST by grobdriver (BUILD KATE'S WALL!)
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To: SeekAndFind
"It was not something that we expected," Samantha said

Then I suggest Samantha, that you are too stupid to live. Either that or you just got back from a 10 year vacation on Pluto.

11 posted on 02/26/2019 10:21:46 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Atrophy of science is visible when the spokesman goes from Einstein to Sagan to Neil Degrasse Tyson.)
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To: SeekAndFind
"It was not something that we expected," Samantha said

So when we find out the LBTQWERTY put them up to this will any "reporter" remember this statement?

12 posted on 02/26/2019 10:22:42 AM PST by gr8eman (Since God has been banished from our classrooms, Satan has filled the void.)
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To: SeekAndFind

She better be a Muslim


13 posted on 02/26/2019 10:23:11 AM PST by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Buy TurboTax or something like that. Leave Christians alone!


14 posted on 02/26/2019 10:28:53 AM PST by jimfree (My18 y/o granddaughter continues to have more quality exec experience than an 8 year Obama.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Good! Freedom of association is a foundational, God given right written down in the US Constitution.

JoMa


15 posted on 02/26/2019 10:36:17 AM PST by joma89
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To: SeekAndFind

I will probably get bombed here by Freepers, but in this case I believe the tax preparer was in the wrong. This about filing taxes not partake or being in the presence of a gay marriage ceremony. I see no problem helping them file their taxes.


16 posted on 02/26/2019 10:42:51 AM PST by Patriot Babe
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To: SeekAndFind

I don’t agree with this one & it sets a bad precedent if allowed.

Look, I believe that sex & marriage should be between a man and a woman. I can understand that baking a cake to celebrate a union between a same-sex couple is not a cool thing.

Being denied service (or being assaulted) for wearing a MAGA hat while minding your own business is as pointless & stupid as denying someone a business service because they are gay.

Taxes and healthcare people aren’t in these industries to judge people; they are there to obey the law of the land and treat all people the same regardless of anything else you don’t agree with in their lives.

Shall we stop giving healthcare to a person because they continue to engage in risky behavior (read: promiscuity here) that could get them an STD or worse, AIDS? Now add “Gay” to that equation - so a young unattached gay male should be denied medical services now because he’s looking for a partner and engages in “risky behavior”, but it’s okay for straight unattached males & females?

How about a male muslim doctor who won’t help a dying person receive medical care because the person is a woman or jewish? (This actually happened to my mother in Arizona).

I get a Christian wedding planner not wanting to assist in the “big day” for a gay couple; I understand the baker or florists for the same reason. They put a lot of who they are in their works of art. What about a bi-racial couple? Or a muslim or Hindu couple (some of their gods are kind of offensive, have you seen them??) - is it okay to work for them because at least they are a man & a woman? Where do we draw the line?

People who own businesses that offer tax service, medical care, police & fire departments & other types of retail businesses shouldn’t get to dictate to the world with whom they want to do business & with whom they don’t want to do business based on this same set of criteria. Freedom is a TWO-way street.

If you agree with this, then do not be shocked or offended when we start getting denied service some place because you’re a man, you believe in the Almighty, you wear a dress & look feminine, are a certain skin color, speak a certain language, have kids, vote conservative or whatever else happens to be the flavor of the day to hate.

Sorry, right is right & wrong is wrong - even when it hurts.


17 posted on 02/26/2019 10:46:07 AM PST by ZephyrTX
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To: Patriot Babe; ZephyrTX
Nancy's looking for some ink.

I still believe in those "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" signs that were all over the place when I was a kid, but this isn't the way to fight this battle now.

Pushing this sort of approach is going to get someone thrown out of car wash because they have a Jesus statue of their dash and there wont be anyway to complain about that.

18 posted on 02/26/2019 11:00:07 AM PST by skimbell
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To: Patriot Babe

I agree with you. The tax preparer had already done their taxes when they were single, yet living together.
This isn’t about participating in a wedding.
I think anti-discrimination laws do apply here. Does this tax person ask all of her clients if they are co-habiting with anyone, and turn them away? I’ll bet she never bats an eye.


19 posted on 02/26/2019 11:10:33 AM PST by Wiser now (Socialism does not eliminate poverty, it guarantees it.)
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To: Patriot Babe

They can file their taxes on the computer with Turbotax & void the confrontation with the live tax preparer.

I never had to make the decision as a life long bookkeeper, but today, I would not take on a same sex couple Too much evidence of conflict & tempers-—theirs.


20 posted on 02/26/2019 11:14:50 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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