Christian photographer wins right to discriminate against LGBTQ+ couples

Salamendacious@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 451 points –
Christian photographer wins right to discriminate against LGBTQ+ couples
lgbtqnation.com

His win is a direct result of the Supreme Court's decision in a pivotal LGBTQ+ rights case.

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I'd say anything that could be considered as creative, and isn't necessary for life.

That said, I'd rather non-essential creatives be allowed to discriminate. Who wants a closeted homophobe photographing their wedding? I'd rather a non-professional friend do it with their cell phone.

Should they also be allowed to have a whites only business? Because I'm pretty sure they legally can't discriminate that way. It's only okay if someone is LGBT+.

No. But he should be able to reject creating something that says “whites only” or “straights only”.

Example:

Denying a “white power” photo session - should be legal

Denying taking senior photos because the client is white - should not be legal

Denying professional headshots because the client is gay - should not be legal

Denying a “gay pride” photo session - should be legal (though you’re an asshole if you do it IMO)

But the thing is, don’t even give a reason. You don’t have to take every job, and you don’t have to say why. If you make the stand to not take a certain job because of political reasons, you are bringing negative attention on yourself

The difference is in the business model.

If they're working individual jobs on a freelance, case by case, contract-based model, then they can do whatever they want as far as signing a contract to do work or not signing a contract to do work with whomever they wish.

The reasons might be shitty sometimes, but that's not enough of a reason to compel all freelancers to do work they don't want to.

Are you actually claiming that as long as you're freelance, you can discriminate against people by race?

I'm saying you don't have to sign any contract you don't want to sign with anyone for any reason.

Any reason including "I don't work with black people?" Are you sure about that?

So you're saying minorities don't have a right to anything but the bare essentials?

Or are you saying the right of bigoted business owners to discriminate trumps the right of individuals to be treated equally?

Is mixing a drink creative?

Is hairstyling creative?

Is designing landscapes creative?

Is putting shingles on a house creative?

Is doing electrical work creative?

What type of work that requires some level of skill and design specific to the project not creative?

Why don't minorities deserve the right to hire the same businesses as everyone else?

I’d say anything that could be considered as creative

This is basically how it's handled. In the Masterpiece Cake case it wasn't about selling the couple "just" a cake. If they'd wanted one out of the case the Shop was legally required to sell them one. They wanted a custom cake and that falls under "creative" which changes the rules.

The United States has long held that artistic expression, basically creative work, is protected under the 1st Amendment as a type of speech and the Government cannot compel speech without extreme need and even then it can only do it narrowly and temporarily.

What we really have with these is a collision between individual rights. Is it fair for the Government to abrogate the 1st Amendment Right of one person by compelling them to speak (create art) in order to satisfy the 14th Amendment Right of another person?

It may seem obvious but consider the controversy around Piss Christ. It was art and was thus subject to 1st Amendment protections and without those protections it would have been removed.

So not allowing art, creative work, 1st Amendment Protections would cause a pile of other problems. There is no perfect solutions when rights collide, there are only trade-offs.

Yes. I mean... if someone thinks it's okay to force a minority to create racist content, their opinion isn't worth a reply. And logically, that's essentially what is being said when someone wants to force someone to create to spec something they don't agree with.