if it is against their own spiritual/moral/personal beliefs? When they become legal, do you think people who work in the wedding industry should be allowed to turn down same sex weddings if it is against their own faith/conscience? I'm not referring to religious institutions or clergy-- I don't think they should have to perform any marriages that go against their doctrine. I'm talking about wedding halls, caterers, wedding coordinators, musicians, bartenders, florists, photographers, etc. Do you think if a same-sex couple decides they want a certain great photographer or great wedding planner, but that person says they don't want to work a same-sex wedding, that they should have the rights to turn the job down? Or do you think it would be grounds to sue them for discrimination? Would a person in this case have a right to follow their own religious beliefs and conscience, or would it be right to expect them to choose between their career and their beliefs?

ok,I kinda figured it wasn't directed towards churches... Good to know u clarified! :) first question: NO! Why?? Alot of people will decide that even if same-sex marriages are legal,they will not provide services to same- sex couples,as a way of silent protest. 2: yes, I think that they should have that right to choose whom they deal with and whom they wan to deal with. I'm Wiccan,and we were told by alot of people who were LDS (mormon) that they "couldn't make it to the wedding" . I knew why: because I was Wiccan and the person who hated me was a pillar in the LDS community in SLC. So we had to have our wedding at the justice of the peace,and it was my childhood friend and a stranger we pulled off the street to sign as wittnesses. That was memorable. We wanted a King Arthur wedding and i had bought things towards that,but when we were told by alot of people "We are not going to it." I gave up. 3: yes, I think they should have that right to turn it down. It is their service they are providing and if they are not comfortable with same-sex weddings,then it is their right not to proviode that service. 4. Discrimination will be difficult to prove. Why? A person can say it is against my religion,and I am using that as grounds as for not providing this service ( catering,florist,bar tending limo driver, dress makers,ect,ect.) If they have had to choose between their faith had career, then in the conversation, it will come about that their faith will prevent them from providing the service. If they do so out of protest against gay marriages, then the wedded couple will have to prove, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that the person is discriminating against them. Homophobia is fear of gay people. Fear and dislike are vastly different. I see alot of people hiding behind religion as a way of promoting their dislike of gay people. "gay" to me, is an umbrella term: Lesbian,gay, bi, trans-gendered, ect. Ok, so I know about discrimination of the gay front: I I I I V

If same-sex marriage is legalized, should people be forced to provide services for same-sex weddings...?

?2009-06-12T23:40:14Z

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From a legal standpoint at least at first, anyone who is working on a private religious ceremony for a wedding would be free to discriminate between their clients...they most likely would be protected by the free exercise clause of the 1st Amendment.

However, anyone who had anything to do with the State's issuing of marriage licenses (court officials, ect) would probably have to comply since the State wouldn't be able to discriminate.

edit : I looked it up: In order for the State to overrule someone's private free exercise of religion they would have to have a "compelling government interest"....The Supreme Court would probably end up having to decide whether prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation is a compelling state interest.

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?2009-06-13T12:36:03Z

Why would anyone think that people would be forced to go against their beliefs in this manner any more than they are in any other? A Christian family couldn't sue a Jewish caterer for refusing to provide non-Kosher food at an event. More than that, why would anyone want someone working on something as special and important as their wedding if that person didn't have their heart in doing the best possible job? It would be like hiring a Nazi to plan a Jewish Wedding. Don't forget that reversing the ruling on Gay Marriage hurt the wedding planning industry of California as much as anyone else, gay people wanting to get married simply went elsewhere and gave other people their business. Anyone who wants to turn down business in today's economy would certainly be welcome so to do, there are plenty of people who'll happily take it, just as happened with businesses in the '60s who did the same thing regarding interracial marriages.

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BrainBabe2009-06-15T08:32:16Z

As a privately-owned business, the company's owner (and any employees so directed) has the right to refuse service to anyone. I'm sure things like this are done every day. It harkens back to the days when black citizens were not allowed to enter restaurants, bars etc, that white citizens frequented all the time. (Before the 1960's civil rights movement in America.)

If I ever knew that a business discriminated in such a way, they would not have MY business, and I am sure that many others feel the same way.

That being said, I am sure that small-minded business-owners will continue this practice no matter what people like me say. They speak with their practices; I speak by withholding my dollars.

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Michael B - Prop. 8 Repealed!2009-06-12T23:38:28Z

Churches should be able to say no, if they feel that way, but the people you describe should not be able to say no due to their "conscience." You see, what if I decide I do not want to provide a wedding location to a Mexican couple, because my religious beliefs tell me I should not? What if I don't want to marry Baptists, because my religious beliefs tell me not to? Someone who has a business open to the public should not be allowed to refuse services to gay couples or anyone else. Once you start down this path of refusing services because of "conscience," where does it stop? First weddings, then doctors, then housing, then loans, then grocery stores, etc., etc.

Yes, I would sue in the case you gave, because it's morally wrong and homophobia is against my religious beliefs.

And for those answerers who don't understand the question, we are NOT talking about a church here. We're talking about the wedding industry!

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?2009-06-12T23:39:27Z

No. You should not be forced to perform same sex weddings.

When I got married to my wife my friend got ordained and did it, he's an Atheist and so am I.

The point is, even the government realizes that "Religion" is relative, anything can be a religion, thus anyone who wants to, can get ordained and do a ceremony.

I can't imagine why a homosexual would want some bigot doing their wedding against their will, but I don't understand why homosexuals would want to be involved in a Christianity in the first place, but there are freaks belonging to every walk of life, so there ya have it.

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If same-sex marriage is legalized, should people be forced to provide services for same-sex weddings...?

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