Tag: anti-gay

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Washington State Florist Fined $1,000 For Refusing Service To Gays

Baronelle Stutzman

Remember the florist in Washington state who refused to sell a gay couple flowers for their wedding?

Remember how the haters screamed that the gays were going to ruin the florist by taking her home and livelihood away?

Yeah. It ended up a whopping $1,001 fine.

From the AP:

Benton County Superior Judge Alexander Ekstrom’s ruling gives Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers and Gifts in Richland, Washington, 60 days to pay the state for her refusal to serve Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed when they sought to buy wedding flowers in 2013.

Stutzman, who had sold flowers to Robert Ingersoll for years, knew he was gay and said when he sought to buy wedding flowers that the marriage went against her beliefs as a Southern Baptist. After they were refused flowers, Ingersoll and Freed went ahead with a smaller wedding than they had planned. They got married in their home with 11 guests and flowers from another florist.

In a February ruling, Ekstrom found that Stutzman’s refusal to provide flowers because of sexual orientation violated Washington’s anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws.

“My primary goal has always been to end illegal discrimination,” Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. “I’m pleased that today’s ruling clearly prohibits discrimination against same-sex couples.”

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Audra McDonald Tweets Indiana Governor Over Anti-Gay “Religious Freedom” Law

Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed sweeping anti-gay “religious freedom” legislation into law today.

And with concerts coming up in the Hoosier state, six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald took to Twitter to school the conservative governor over the anti-gay law.

This made my night…

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Matt Baume Explains Why “Religious Freedom” Laws Aren’t About “Freedom”

Matt Baume explains why so many “religious freedoms” laws are actually “license to discriminate” dressed up in sheep’s clothing.

Last week, Senator James Lankford (Oklahoma) and Representative Randy Forbes (Virginia) jumped on the fact that Chipotle suspended a pork supplier for failing to provide proper animal care.

Then they twisted that news through a tangle of logic until it was sly justification for businesses to refuse service to LGBTs.

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Phyllis Schlafly: Governors Should Defy SCOTUS On Marriage Equality Decision

Months away from a decision on same-sex marriage, and the loonies are already freaking out.

Eagle Forum founder Phyllis Schlafly told Focal Point host Bryan Fischer that state governors should simply “refuse to enforce” a Supreme Court decision striking down bans on same-sex marriage.

She also urged President Obama or whoever replaces him to direct the Attorney General to defy the court, just as the federal government should have ignored the Dred Scot ruling before the Civil War.

“We just cannot live in a country where one judge or even five judges are able to change the law of our land that goes against the laws of most of our states and we’ve had for several thousands of years about the definition of marriage, that is simply not our form of government,” Schlafly said. “We believe in ‘We The People.’”

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Indiana: Gaming Convention Could Leave State Over Anti-Gay Legislation

As predicted, the anti-gay legislation SB 101 – already passed by Indiana state legislature and headed to Gov. Mike Pence’s desk – is on the verge of having major negative economic impact on the state.

Gen Con, one of Indianapolis’ largest annual conventions has written to the governor threatening to move the event.

“Legislation that could allow for refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees will have a direct negative impact on the state’s economy, and will factor into our decision-making on hosting the convention in the state of Indiana in future years,” said Adrian Swartout, owner and CEO of Gen Con LLC, in a letter sent to Pence just hours after lawmakers sent the measure to his desk.

“Gen Con proudly welcomes a diverse attendee base, made up of different ethnicities, cultures, beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds,” she wrote. “We are happy to provide an environment that welcomes all, and the wide-ranging diversity of our attendees has become a key element to the success and growth of our convention.”

Gen Con attracts over 50,000 attendees each year, bringing more than $50 million to Indianapolis’ economy.

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Indiana: George Takei Calls For Boycott Over SB 101

As anti-gay legislation in Indiana – SB 101 – heads to Gov. Mike Pence’s desk, George Takei called for a boycott of the state should the bill become law:

The Governor of Indiana has indicated that he will sign SB101—a law that allows businesses to discriminate against customers based on the proprietors’ religious beliefs. This bill is strikingly similar to one proposed—and vetoed due to public outcry—in Arizona. Such laws harken back to a time where our society was divided, and people of color were banned from white establishments. That is not our nation any longer, and those are not our values.

To the governor and to the legislators in Indiana who support this backward-looking and divisive bill, I say to you this: If it goes into effect, Indiana will be marked as a state where certain people are not welcome, and so we will not visit. We will not spend. And we will not attend events, including GenCon, the world’s largest gaming convention, held in Indianapolis each year. Many fans here are gamers, Governor Pence, and we will demand the convention move out of your state.

Fans, friends and especially you gamers, let Governor Pence know how you feel about this bill. Give him a call: 317-232-4567.

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California: Editorial Board Takes “Kill The Gays” Initiative To Task

A California lawyer has proposed a referendum initiative to legalize the killing of gays and lesbians via gun shot to the head.

Due to state law, the state attorney general now must come up with a title and summary for the initiative, even as the insanity of the idea hangs in the air.

The world has recently noticed the move, and as such, the state of California bears the shame of another idiot in it’s midst.

The Fresno Bee editorial board takes the issue to task today:

Delusional causes are no strangers to California’s initiative process. Outlawing divorce, criminalizing campaign lies, mandating Christmas caroling for public school children — all of these have been tried.

Usually, they fizzle out. But now comes Huntington Beach lawyer Matt McLaughlin, who, regrettably, also is no stranger to California’s initiative process.

McLaughlin, who in 2004 tried and failed via the ballot to force public schools to use the Bible as a textbook, is now testing the limits of free speech — and tolerance — with a despicable ballot measure authorizing the murder of gays and lesbians, preferably with bullets.

The “Sodomite Suppression Act” is so reprehensible that the Legislature’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus has asked the State Bar to investigate McLaughlin’s fitness to practice law, and thousands have signed a petition to disbar him.

[snip]

Meanwhile, Californians should channel their outrage. McLaughlin still needs 365,880 signatures to get this hate crime on the ballot, so don’t sign.

Then, next November, take a step that no one will regret: Show up at the polls.

These signature thresholds for initiatives are calculated according to turnout; the higher the participation, the harder it is for kooks and sociopaths to get traction.

Maybe this “Sodomite Suppression Act” would have stayed where it belongs, in the realm of delusion, if more of us had voted last time.

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Puerto Rico: Legislators Threaten Lawsuit To Force Governor To Defend Marriage Equality Ban

Maria Milagros Charbonier

Last week, the governor’s office of Puerto Rico announced it would not defend in court the current anti-same-sex marriage law currently on appeal at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals.

Justice Secretary Cesar Miranda said that the government can no longer continue to discriminate against the gay community. “It’s neither fair nor correct to defend the constitutionality of that law,” he said. “Same-sex couples cannot get married and therefore do not have access to those rights. They should be available to all those who love each other, who take care of each other, who work and contribute to this society like everyone else.”

Now, opponents of equal rights for the LGBT community are angry and threatening to sue the governor.

“This is a slap in the face to Puerto Rican society,” said legislator Maria Milagros Charbonier. “The government should not be playing around with issues as delicate as that of family, which is the cornerstone of our island.”

“We believe it is totally contrary to the law, contrary to the constitution of Puerto Rico and contrary to the democratic foundations of our system of government for our governor to have taken a position on same-sex marriage.”

(h/t JMG)

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California: Initiative To Propose Killing Gays Likely To Move Forward

A Southern California lawyer has filed a proposal that would put a “kill the gays” initiative before voters, and Attorney General Kamala Harris most likely can’t stop the process from advancing to the signature gathering stage.

Attorney Matthew G. McLaughlin filed the proposed measure last month, asking voters to criminalize homosexuality in the state and impose a death penalty sentence.

In his filing, which McLaughlin titles “Sodomite Suppression Act,” he seeks to have written into law that “any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification be put to death by bullets to the head or by any other convenient method.”

Harris is now tasked with having to write a title and summary for the proposal.

More than 3,800 people signed a petition to State Bar President Craig Holden asking that McLaughlin lose his law license for advocating to “legalize the murder” of gays and lesbians.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article15394181.html#storylink=cpy

Read the full text of the initiative here.

(source)