Posted on 01/18/2016 8:43:43 AM PST by wagglebee
ALBANY, New York, January 18, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Farmers who host weddings in their backyard cannot refuse ceremonies where two people of the same sex are trying to get married, a New York court has ruled.
The court's decision affirmed the state's Division of Human Rights (DHR) ruling against Robert and Cynthia Gifford, owners of Liberty Ridge Farms, after they declined to host a "wedding" for a same-sex couple. The Giffords said they would host the reception for a lesbian couple, but the ceremony itself would have to be hosted elsewhere because of their religious beliefs about marriage.
DHR found that the couple violated New York's "places of public accommodation" anti-discrimination law. If the court's decision stands, the Giffords must pay $10,000 in state fines and an additional $3,000 in damages to the lesbian couple, Jennie McCarthy and Melissa Erwin, for "mental pain and suffering."
Additionally, the Giffords – who say they have hosted a birthday party for a lesbian couple's adopted child, and employed people with same-sex attractions – will have to provide sensitivity training to their staff and prominently display a poster highlighting state anti-discrimination laws.
The suit goes back to a 2012 phone call that Cynthia answered. Erwin and McCarthy wanted to have their wedding on site, something Cynthia said couldn't happen.
In a statement issued by the New York arm of the ACLU, which took on their case, the lesbian women said, "Having your relationship judged as somehow unworthy is incredibly hurtful and disheartening and we want to ensure that other couples do not have to undergo the same treatment."
Erwin and McCarthy say it took them months to find another site to host their "wedding."
"All Americans should be free to live and work according to their beliefs, especially in our own backyards," said Alliance Defending Freedom legal counsel Caleb Dalton in a statement after Thursday's decision. Dalton, who defended the couple, added, "The government went after both this couple's freedom and their ability to make a living simply for adhering to their faith on their own property. The court should have rejected this unwarranted and unconstitutional government intrusion, so we will consult with our client regarding appeal."
In 2014, another attorney for the Giffords told LifeSiteNews, "The entire interaction between the complainants and the Giffords transpired during a two- to three-minute telephone conversation, which, unknown to Mrs. Gifford, was being tape-recorded," Trainor said.
"After communicating the fact that they chose not to hold same-sex marriage ceremonies at the farm because to do so would violate the Giffords' sincerely held beliefs (that God intended marriage to be between a man a woman only), Mrs. Gifford invited the couple to visit the farm to discuss handling their wedding reception, which the couple refused."
Trainor also says the state's law doesn't apply to the Giffords because their wedding and reception business is on their home property. However, Slate's Mark Stern noted in 2014 that DHR found that "[Liberty Ridge Farms] is a for profit business and directs its publicity to the general public. … LRF engages in widespread marketing to the general public through advertising at a bridal show and on the internet[.] … LRF is encouraging members of the public to lease the use of its facilities and purchase its services. Thus, there is no exclusivity and LRF is not 'distinctly private.'"
When they wanted civil unions we were told to shut up by some on our side, even a few on here. We were told how does this affect us.
We spoke against their sham marriage and told the same again.
Where are those liberals on here now telling us it does not affect us?
I don’t see the homonazis going to Mosques and muslim areas doing this, I wonder why?
Just don't use the restrooms at JFK or LaGuardia.
I think we are seeing, in Sweden and other European nations, the tragic end result of the leftists’ alliance with islam. I really do think they are so reflexively anti-Christian that they genuinely believe any other religion must be superior...and like minded with themselves. Their unwillingness to challenge islam is calculated for sure, but they genuinely believe that they can ‘co-exist’ with muslims, after the Christians have all been forced underground or exterminated.
Yup.
But it is protected by black robed fiat, especially in NY.
“It is now against the law to hold a religious belief that homosexuality is a sin if you run a business”
Veracity of that statement aside, it would akin to hate crime, in which the perp’s thoughts can be used to augment criminal penalties. Welcome to thought crime. 1984 just came a little later than expected, that’s all. It’s hard to listen to someone tell me what a free country this is without laughing out loud.
Agreed.
If you cannot exclude people then you are not freely assembling, you are assembling under conditions set by the government. One cannot have it both ways, either we are free to refuse service for any reason, or we may only refuse service for government approved reasons.
“Without justice what else is the state but a great band of robbers?” I believe applies here. St. Augustine
Of course they do.
Are “values” defined by our government?
If anything the farmers in New York have a ton of values, and the government is trashing them to project their agenda
Paraphrasing the statement of “by their fruits you shall know them”, by the visible shown values you can tell.
And they KEEP VOTING FOR IT.
So they must value it.
[[If you cannot exclude people then you are not freely assembling,]]
I believe, and don’t quote me on this- but I think groups like skin heads and kkk can assemble and exclude people from the assemblies-
Again
Does the government grant our values or do the people develop their own values?
I am sure these farmers did not elect these Judges or the New York State government for that matter.
If a Louisiana politician is busted in a corruption ring, does that mean the entire population of Louisiana is crooked as well? Just because they voted for that slick talking politician?
I guess the new Sec. of the Army will be glad to hear about this.
They should close and then reopen as a religious club which has to be joined with bylaws that must be subscribed to by any member.
What couple of liars. They are making it sound like the site was booked for their event and then cancelled. All they did was make one phone call of inquiry. Anyone who has planned ANY event -- especially a wedding -- knows that you go down a list of options and most of those options never pan out. It's why you start planning things like this way in advance. For them to imply that was their only possible facility for the event makes it clear they had an agenda to cause trouble from the start.
Again, they keep voting for it.
Again, no they don’t
We get a lot from government we don’t vote for....
Who voted for the EPA? The IRS? The numerous other alphabet organizations? I haven’t
nor have you.
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