Christians must be forced to print gay shirts. And I’m not talking about “Glee” shirts. I mean that Christians may be forced to print shirts for gay rights organizations.
A t-shirt company may be busted for an increasingly occuring charge of being Christian in public. Weasel Zippers reports:
A Lexington, KY t-shirt company is under investigation by the city’s Human Rights Commission after they refused to print t-shirts for a local gay rights organization.
The owner of “Hands On Originals,” a well-known t-shirt company in the region, declined to print the shirts for the city’s Gay and Lesbian Services Organization (GLSO) because it would conflict with their Christian convictions.
The privately owned company is now accused of violating Lexington’s Fairness Act – which protects people and organizations from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Opponents of Christians in cases like these would say that this kind of incident is akin to refusing to serve black people at a diner or something.
But one – gay ain’t the new black. It just ain’t.
And two – this company isn’t saying that they won’t serve homosexuals, they’re saying they don’t want to be forced to print shirts for an organization with an agenda that they believe is harmful to the country. I’m betting that this is a picked fight. There’s no hardship here for the gay rights group. You can go online and find a million t-shirt companies. And I’m betting there’s a few of these in the Lexington area as well.
And three – if you follow the logic, then a black dude could be forced to print up t-shirts for the next Klan rally.
Would anyone agree with that?
April 3, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Ridiculous. If I wanted pro-life t-shirts printed for a pro-life group at my parish, and if a pro-choice atheist business owner refused to do the work, I would simply be thankful that my money didn't go to support that business. And I would look for another business to print my t-shirts. The idea that I might sue the business for discrimination is just completely bizarre to me.
April 3, 2012 at 4:02 pm
"this company isn't saying that they won't serve homosexuals, they're saying they don't want to be forced to print shirts for an organization with an agenda that they believe is harmful to the country."
Good point, and I think that's what it all turns on. It was the message on the t-shirt and not the customer that caused the objection.
If a straight person walked in wanting the same shirt printed, presumably they would not have done that one, either.
You should have been a lawyer! (Nah, on second thought, we have enough of those… but still.)
April 3, 2012 at 4:09 pm
I think all these thing are the fault of the modern Capitalist system. Our country, more and more, is based on this Randian notion that all things are to be done for my benefit, and regarding all capital, it should all be mine anyway. Rand called it "the virtue of selfishness". Nothing is done for its value, and increasingly (as we are seeing) laws are not passed for their goodness, but rather for how it serves the perceived good of the few.
Suing is the new protesting, which is why nothing ever gets done unless it comes down to Capital gain. This is a far cry from the protests during Vietnam or the Civil Rights Era. They weren't suing the government for change. They were marching out on the streets, standing their ground no matter the cost.
#thirdway #seamlessgarment
April 3, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Joseph has a good point. Suing is the new way of protesting. At one time, if a business did not want to fill your request, then you said "Fine, you do not want my business then I will take it elsewhere." The business did not get the sale and you found someone else to fill your request. Plain and simple. Now if a group does not like the beliefs of its owners then they lawyer up and sue them. What better way to force someone to believe what you do by making sure that you make them pay for having a different view than your own. It is the new Amercian way of protesting if you ask me.
Cheri
April 3, 2012 at 7:26 pm
This company totally printed shirts for an evangelical band I used to be in in the mid-90's.
April 3, 2012 at 7:27 pm
Forced commerce is the obamist religious outreach and missionary service.
April 3, 2012 at 11:08 pm
Well, it seems like we're all in the gulag now. We need to take a lesson from workers the old Soviet Union and just do a crappy job printing out their gay t-shirts. Then, they'll leave us alone. Wise up.
April 4, 2012 at 12:15 am
I found it amusing (in a sophmorish kind of way) that at KY t-shirt company would be uncomfortable doing anyting.
True story, I met Bozer from Shananna. He didn't grease up, he used KY. You know why? It is water based and won't stain clothes.
Rover.
April 4, 2012 at 12:21 am
Another funny aside: my family ran the Klan in the thumb of Michigan. They didn't hate Blacks as much as Catholics. My uncle had a cross burned in his yard because his family was catholic in about 1930 by his future father in law and grand father in law. Now, Catholics can JOIN the Klan. It is based out of Belize btw if you are looking for some new friends.
Rover.
April 4, 2012 at 11:24 pm
So, by the logic of the would-be customer, one could/should be forced to enter into a contract for an immoral purpose provided it wasn't illegal! Absurd. By that reasoning, one could be forced to print a t-shirt advertising pornography! The issue is the purpose/nature of the contract (or subject of contract) not an aspect of the person who wants to treat.
April 5, 2012 at 12:24 am
Lynda, you are forgetting that we now are living under the theocracy of pagan state worship. The state now decides what is immoral. You can bet if this were reversed the Christians would be charged for wanting "hate speech" printed on T-shirts. Fascinating how a few minorities are subjugating the vast majority in this country. Time for some de-programming.
April 6, 2012 at 6:56 am
Its just a matter of time until someone tries to force a Muslim-owned business to provide a cake or whatall for a 'gay' wedding, then this kind of silliness will be overturned. Christians are easy targets for such bullies.
April 7, 2012 at 11:32 pm
They'd never do it to a Muslim owner.