[Soon]

I woke up and kept thinking of this thread and remembered back in the day this story. It did happen.

I used to be friends with a couple--she is white and he is black. They have three children together. This was back in the early nineties.

They drove down to Florida (Disney) as a family and stopped for gas (Georgia, maybe?). The attendant saw their family and would not serve them. For real. Was that his right if he doesn't believe it is moral for blacks and whites to be together and have children b/c it is against his value system, his beliefs etc?

They drove to another gas station. But what if there wasn't one that was close? What if they had little gas left? Was it that business owner's right to refuse this family his services b/c he morally objects to their family? (I know legally he couldn't do that but he took a chance that they wouldn't persue it--and they didn't).


From what I understand, slavery/segregation/anti-miscegenation laws were largely based on people's personal value systems with a lot of biblical justifications. This owner just didn't morally agree with their type of family and refused them service.

This could happen to any of us couples. How is this ok?

However, some are agreeing that it would be fine, and within his rights, for that gas station owner to look at the composition of us as couples and families and agree that it is his right to deny us service based on our sexual orientation or gender identity.


Like Ender wrote, that is why anti-discrimination laws are in place (or have to be put in place) to prohibit this kind of intolerance and protect ALL people's access (including LGBT community) to services based on the equal human rights. It has been eye-opening, to me, that this idea of equal access to services and goods for ALL is not a wholly shared idea or goal in which to strive.

Being denied access to services b/c of someone's personal or religious beliefs can also encompass the already United States federal protected classes -- sexual orientation and gender identity are not, currently, a protected class. Would it be fine for a woman to be denied access to a private singing school (and shared that she is a church soloist to the owner) b/c the owner believes in the words within the Bible that a woman should remain silent in church?

I remain curious if people would support the removal of the current USA Federally protected classes (age, gender, creed, disability, race? i might be missing something) b/c, these categories, as well, could infringe upon a business owner's personal/religious beliefs.