The article explains the situation:
HOUSTON, TX, United States (UPI) — Business has been booming for Houston area landscaping company that refused to work for a gay couple.
Garden Guy Inc. owners Sabrina and Todd Farber were flooded with threats, hate mail and letters of support after their e-mail was circulated on the Internet, The New York Times said Saturday.
Sabrina Farber said the company eventually picked up about $40,000 in new business while losing only two customers with about $500 each.
Sabrina Farber said after a potential customer mentioned his partner, she sent him an e-mail saying: ‘I need to tell you that we cannot meet with you because we choose not to work for homosexuals.’
An American Civil Liberties Union attorney said the law appears to favor the Farbers, saying sexual orientation was not protected under federal commerce-related law.
The Association of Professional Landscape Designers condemned the couple`s action and instated a requirement for members to abide by an anti-discrimination clause, the Times said. [source]
I side with the current commerce laws on this one. This was a risk to their business (potential loss of revenue) they chose to take and the law protects them. “Right of refusal” is one of those legal topics that one could spend all day talking about as there are plenty of gray areas around this issue. The reason why I am not for a blanket law that eliminates a business owner’s right to refuse service is because it can be easily abused. A person can easily claim that I denied them service based on race even though my reasons had nothing to do with race. Personally, I do not see how working for someone who is a homosexual in this context is an endorsement for their lifestyle, so for me it would not be a problem. As far as The Association of Professional Landscape Designers, they need to butt out and realize that Federal law IS the law here. On the other hand, if the Farbers are a part of this organization, they should get out if they are going to take this route when conducting business.
I especially would like to hear from my homosexual readers on this one. Were you ever denied service by a business? If so, how did you respond?
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November 14th, 2006 at 11:05 am
Business owners should be allowed to work for whom they choose.
March 27th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Would you say that about a denial of service to a Muslim or a black person, Saudia? You see, even if you say that being gay is a choice (which is isn’t) then how is it different from being of a certain religion. Would you be ‘okay’ with a restaurant saying “no Christians allowed?” “Dogs and Jews not welcomed?” If not, why not?
April 28th, 2009 at 8:17 am
I find it somewhat odd that you support this action. Would you support a return to the days when black’s often would not be served by businesses?
I’m not a supporter of the gay/lesbian lifestyle. That said, I’ve had a lesbian couple take childbirth classes from me and I treated them as I would any other couple. They could have deduced by position on their lifestyle based on knowing what church I attended (one of the partners was a Reconstructionist Jewish Rabbi, and she told me that she had performed a funeral together with my pastor once–and she was quite aware of my pastor’s position against homosexuality).
April 28th, 2009 at 9:54 am
You played yourself when you made this comment~
“Would you support a return to the days when black’s often would not be served by businesses?”
Sorry, but the backs of Black folks are not available for you to make your ridiculous point.
Gay ain’t a race. It’s a choice one makes in their bedroom. Making a comparison between what Blacks had to endure during Jim Crow and homosexuality is downright insulting.
April 28th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
duane,
you’re right it’s not a race but neither is being jewish (it’s a religion and has never been a classification for race except for by bigots)but they are protected under the same hate crime laws as black people.
homosexuality is NOT a choice. no one chooses to be straight or gay… it’s a natural reaction that a person gets when they are around someone that they like. this happens even as kids when we develop our first crushes. you can’t help being attracted to the type of person you like anymore than gay people can.
with the anti-gay movements by racists and law enforcement; the ignorance and FEAR that people have of gay/lesbians are in league with what our black ancestors and jewish people have had to go through. they have been persecuted; hunted; lynched; thrown in jail; denied jobs/services/housing just like any other minority that is now protected under the law. hate and discrimination are just that no matter whom it is direct towards. it’s still wrong!
you would be blasting the crap out of these people and calling for the license if they had refused service to a black person and you know it. just because you don’t understand that it’s the same type of wrong doesn’t mean it’s not. and just because there is a law protecting them doesn’t make it right.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
it’s a natural reaction that a person gets when they are around someone that they like.
Does this also apply to bisexuals?
April 29th, 2009 at 7:54 am
I have to agree with Duane. When a homosexual or Jewish, or Muslim, or Christian walks out of their door, no one knows to discriminate against them because of their religious preference. When an black person, an Arab, or Asian person walks out of their home, or into a business, their race is written on their face.
I don’t agree with the choice the Farbers made to not work for a homosexual couple, but we cannot relate their struggle to those my mother and grandmother and the Civil Rights era. There is no comparison.
June 10th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
QLexis, brilliantly stated, I hadn’t thought of it in those exact terms before. First of all, I’m a Christian, and frankly, we are abused more often than any other group out there, and don’t express outrage at that remark, it’s true and hard to dispute. Ever heard of a movie called RELIGILOUS? When is the sequel coming out? You know, the second one called “Homos: the silent killers”? exactly, IT WONT, because its ok to discriminate against Christians because we aren’t a small group. It’s wrong to discriminate against homosexuals, but only a small portion of businesses and rented housing practice discrimination based on sexual orientation, and frankly, if they do, you should shake your head at their ignorance and go next door to someone who WON’T CARE. It’s not hard people, and there are PLENTY of places that if you went as a Christian and advertised it, you’d be laughed out, I’m thinking of certain classes and clubs in college, but what do we do? We walk away. It’s petty people, it’s petty, stuff happens, get over it and move on, if you’re really so sure your lifestyle is ok, you shouldn’t be getting bent out of shape by ignorant folk, just go home and hold the person you love and enjoy it.
And whatever yo do, DON’T COMPARE YOURSELVES TO AFRICANS OR JEWS etc. Yes, there have been violent crimes to homosexuals, yes they aren’t horribly uncommon, yes it’s wrong, but they were never enslaved, they were never killed EN MASSE like the others, you ARE NOT the same, it’s disrespectful. I’m Armenian… none of you probably even know why that gives me ground to talk right? Go look it up, we were enslaved more than anyone else in a LONG time.. I believe the song goes “Why did Constantinople get the works? That’s nobody’s business but the Turks”. Same concept.
June 11th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Yes I would say the same thing. It is crappy that people won’t do business with someone for what ever reason. However, if a business owner is willing to run the risk of losing business over this then so be it. As a person with an Arabic name I am constantly called out in airports screening lines. I can’t check in online or at the self check in counter. I suppose when I get tired of it I will stop flying. People must stop cramming their lifestyle downs other people’s throats.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:46 am
I would do business with anyone who does their job right. I just do not want to get sued if I choose not to. These gays are shooting themselves in the foot when they sue those who, for whatever reason, choose not to perform marriage ceremonies for them or whatever. Should I sue someone because they choose not to buy my paintings of horses because they just happen to not like horses?!?!?! Absurd!
June 20th, 2009 at 9:52 am
To compare the level of discrimination from one group to other groups is ignorant. People have been killed for being homosexual throughout the history of mankind. Every major religious group has been persecuted, as have atheists and agnostics. Racial discrimination is as old as the race of man. Get the point people – its not one group against another – the point is – it’s WRONG to discriminate! For anyone, for any reason! That’s why ALL people should take a stand against ANY form of discrimination. Yes, even discrimination against groups we do not sympathize with. If you can recognize discrimination, then you should stand against it.
Gays are the current, most openly discriminated-against group in America. Their civil rights have been put to popular vote by state in almost every state in the US within the past 5 years (since when are people’s civil liberties up for popular vote? If that were the case, a dozen states in the South would still have separate but equal!), and by Presidential mandate they are not allowed to serve in the military if they admit to being gay or have a homosexual relationship. They are not afforded the same rights available to other Americans. That’s the issue here – its not color or gender or sexual orientation – its civil rights and equality for all.
As for two people who claim to be Christian refusing to offer their services to others because of their personal lifestyle choice (aka, because they are sinners), they should be ashamed. They not only discriminate against gays, but they discriminate against sin. The bible is very clear that Jesus is a friend of sinners, and that His blood is good enough to cleanse all sin. If they don’t want to serve sinners they will have a very short clientele indeed.