Florist refuses to outfit same-sex couple's wedding

I dont think the HRC should come in on this one, but I do hope Ms Kim Evans looses all her customers and her business goes under.

It is against the law according to the HRC though. This isn't a whole lot different then if she substituted "gay wedding" for Jewish wedding or mixed race marriage.

Hopefully her business will suffer badly because of it but who knows? She might live in an area where there are a lot of people who'll say "good for you, standing up to those filthy queers".

Those are the worst.

My opinion would be the same if it was a Jewish, Christian or Buddhist Wedding. I just dont think it would solve much, by the time the HRC is done the couple will be celebrating their 2 year anniversary.

Not being from the area its hard to say, if she is from a community that discriminates against homosexuals. I would hate to hear that this would be supported by any whole community in Canada.

It is not the business of the HRC or anyone else to compel a private business or individual to conduct business with anyone.

People have the right not to do things if they don't want to do them.

Granted, that also means that other customers don't have to go to that florist.

Exactly.

A business cannot be forced to serve a customer. Period.

Actually the government can and does have the right to compel business owners to conduct business with people. She couldn't have refused their business based on the colour of their skin.

If she can discriminate against them then the government can discriminate against her. That business license you wanted? Nope. Using public utilities? Nope. Want to be able to use the courts to prosecute shoplifters? Nope. See that public sidewalk leading up to your business? We'll just construct a barrier preventing people from entering your store.

Get the picture? Somehow if this were a muslim shop refusing to do business with a jew you'd have a very different opinion.

Actually the government can and does have the right to compel business owners to conduct business with people. She couldn't have refused their business based on the colour of their skin.

If she can discriminate against them then the government can discriminate against her. That business license you wanted? Nope. Using public utilities? Nope. Want to be able to use the courts to prosecute shoplifters? Nope. See that public sidewalk leading up to your business? We'll just construct a barrier preventing people from entering your store.

Get the picture? Somehow if this were a muslim shop refusing to do business with a jew you'd have a very different opinion.

Sure she can. As a business owner, you have the right to do business with whoever you want. She would have been best to keep her comments to herself.

If a mentally challenged person comes into a McDonalds and starts making rude comments, are they forced to serve him/her? No, they walk them out the door. Is that discrimination because he/she has mental problems?

The City can and does discriminate against business owners. That's nothing new.

No, that's rude behaviour, and you never have to accept that.

I don't understand why you would not do business with anyone while they did nothing wrong. Oh wait, being gay is wrong...

true, but there's no law against being rude

No you don't. You can't hang up a sign that says "no blacks allowed" can you?



The difference is that these were not disruptive customers. They were law abiding paying customers discriminated against for no other reason then they were gay and getting married.



Really? How? How are business owners discriminated against in the same vein that gays were being discriminated against? Making them pay taxes isn't discrimination. The biggest thing I hear around here, at least from downtown stores, is that they are discriminated against because the city won't (actually can't) provide mall capacity parking. Hardly discrimination.

This isn't a case where the customers were being overly pushy or demanding or even rude. This wasn't a case where they were being a disruptive force or an impediment to other customers business. They were by all accounts perfectly OK clients who suddenly had their order canceled for no other reason then they are gay. I have no problem with the government stepping in and fining the store owners or otherwise sanctioning them.

Exactly.

A business cannot be forced to serve a customer. Period.

And yet they are, every day. If you run a business, you have to serve blacks, Ukrainians, Scientologists, people who post on internet forums, etc etc. The horror, I know, but do you really want to go back to the good old days, with signs up "no ni**ers, jews or dogs?" Some added Irishmen to the list.

true, but there's no law against being rude

There are laws about discriminating based on things like sexual orientation though.

true, but there's no law against being rude

What country do you live in? In Canada, and the US, there are laws against discrimination.