Here’s an idea… given how much “social progress” is supposed to have been made over the last 50+ years, let’s do this: repeal all the anti-discrimination laws, let all of the bigots come out of the woodwork, and shine the light of day on them instead of forcing them to conceal their bigotry under anti-discrimination laws while they make up other excuses to refuse the business of those they don’t want — you know, just as those who dislike atheists will come up with any reason other than religion to turn us away, or will nitpick over any little thing as an excuse to turn us away.
Take away a bigot’s ability to use their bigotry as a reason to turn away those against whom they’re bigoted and they’ll find some other reason to turn them away that is still legal while concealing the fact the person is a bigot.
Doesn’t it make more sense to reveal the bigots for who they really are?
I mean, if they’re only going so far as to deny products and services, how is it fair to force business owners to provide goods and services to customers they don’t want?
If they are using their bigotry to justify violence against others — including the passage of provisions at the government level since government is institutional violence — then obviously that needs to be countered.
And has been countered. Numerous ways.
Let’s enter a hypothetical here. I run a shoppe and I don’t want to cater to — just for the sake of argument — gays. Now my business existing does not mean everyone with the ability to pay is entitled to the products or services I sell. Inherently I have the right to discriminate against whomever I want for whatever reason I want when it comes to the operation of my business — this includes hiring practices — unless I have entered into a contract that forbids such practices (such as a lease for the business space I rent).
To say otherwise is a violation of my right to transact business however I see fit. And this can be seen in the fact that many favor laws (i.e. violence, since government is institutional violence) that would force me to conduct business with customers I don’t want and hire employees I don’t want.
Setting aside the fact that turning away customers and talented employees would likely be bad for my bottom line, that is a choice I should be freely able to make. But at the same time, the consequences of those choices are also mine to accept — contrary to assertions that I’d be able to act on my bigotry “without consequences”. And if I don’t want those consequences, then it is up to me to change my practices.
