No, if your business is open to the public, your business has to be open to all people OF A PROTECTED CLASS.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to turn someone down for business. But not solely because they are part of that class. What those protected classes are differs from state-to-state, and again different federally. Some judges have also ruled that "innate" characteristics, above and beyond those delineated protected classes (race, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and religion (which is not innate but taught), veteran status (which is earned).) also, my understanding is not all businesses that do business with the public are subject to the discrimination laws, but those business that offer a "public accommodation", or where there is a "government interest" in making sure those services are protected. so, in arizona state, on the state court level, it is probably fine to not make a penis cake, but you still could be sued (but would probably win). on the federal court level, not so much. and you can kick the KKK out of your shop at any point (but still get sued), but the suit would be dismissed early due to no protected class status. But a member of the Arian Church, on the other hand, could. But you could kick that same person out because they dated your daughter, or because they voted for Obama, or because they smell like elderberries. just not because of their religion. (proving that was the reason, in a suit, gets harder, but is legally acceptable) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_class On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 2:48 PM, Larry C. Lyons <[email protected]>wrote: > > If your business is open to the public you have to serve all the > public. End of story. > > Mind you you can always say you're too busy to take new orders at the > present time. > > On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 2:45 PM, C. Hatton Humphrey <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > While the headline emphasizes his comments about homosexuals, this > question > > is one that I thought about as well: > > > > "Would they force a Jewish photographer to work a Klan or Nazi event? How > > about forcing a Muslim caterer to work a pork barbeque [sic] dinner?" > > > > A slight correction to his assertion in my line of thought though... they > > wouldn't "force" anyone to do something. The bill would have only > > prevented the "offended" party from being able to bring a discrimination > > lawsuit against the business. > > > > > > > > Until Later! > > C. Hatton Humphrey > > http://www.eastcoastconservative.com > > > > Every cloud does have a silver lining. Sometimes you just have to do > some > > smelting to find it. > > > > > > On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 2:18 PM, Larry C. Lyons <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > >> > >> > >> > http://www.salon.com/2014/02/27/tea_party_leader_attacks_jan_brewer_for_allowing_%e2%80%9cslavery%e2%80%9d_and_penis_cakes/ > >> > >> > >> Amazing what the Teahadis come up with now. More than a bit of > >> projection going on here. > >> > >> > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:369512 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
