... And Now My Left Eye is Twitching

New Hampshire is proposing a law that would make it legal for businesses and employees of businesses to refuse services to gay couples who are getting married – which, by the way, is legal in New Hampshire – on the grounds that, essentially, it “Offends their sensibilities.” So if you owned a bakery, and you don’t support gay marriage for religious reasons, or moral reasons, or whatever reasons, you could refuse to sell a homosexual couple a cake.  And it would be legal. *

You can imagine how I feel about this.

Outraged starts to cover it, but doesn’t really come close.

The idea that New Hampshire – or ANY state – would consider putting a law on the books that legalizes discrimination of any kind makes me feel like I need to throw up.

And I want you to feel like you’re going to throw up, too.

Here’s why:  this legislation, should it pass, sets one of the ugliest precedents I can imagine. Once it becomes legal to refuse services based on sexual orientation, what is next? If I can legally discriminate against someone because I don’t like that they are gay – if I can discriminate against someone because my religion finds their lifestyle unacceptable – then should I not also be allowed to legally discriminate against other groups because I find them unacceptable morally or religiously?

For example, if I am a neo-nazi, my beliefs are pretty clear on where, say, Jewish people stand. Am I then legally allowed to discriminate against people who are Jewish because of the way I define my morality and politics? And before you say no, of course not, that’s extreme, I would say this: it’s not extreme. When we start creating laws that enable people to discriminate, it opens the doors for further acts of legalized discrimination because – what the hell, you already have one law on the books.

I am sickened by this proposal. Sickened and ashamed to live in a state where it is being considered, ill at the thought that it could possibly pass.

This is not okay with me. And it shouldn’t be okay with you.

Let’s stop the hate.

*Here’s the language: "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person, including a business owner or employee thereof, shall be required to provide services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges to an individual if the request is related to the solemnization, celebration, or promotion of a marriage and providing such services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges would be a violation of the person’s conscience or religious faith.

A person’s refusal to provide services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges in accordance with this section shall not create any civil claim or cause of action or result in any state action to penalize or withhold benefits from such person."

Which I think ALSO makes it legal to discriminate against interracial couples, now that I think about it, which makes me wonder if this is in violation of the Civil Rights Act?