You probably all have read the story about an Oregon bar that was ordered to pay $400,000 for discrimination against trans-people.
In his defense he said,
Substitute “Jew” for transgender, suppose he told Jewish people not to come in because he was losing money, would that be OK? I think everyone would say that was wrong; then why is it OK to ban trans-people?
Also in Oregon,
It is simple; if you open a business to the public, you must serve all of the public and you cannot pick and choose who you want to serve.
Bureau of Labor and Industries orders North Portland bar owner to pay $400,000 to cross-dressersWow! Here in Connecticut they usually lose their liquor license for a week and fined a couple thousand dollars, but $400,000 sends a strong message… don’t discriminate!
By Casey Parks
The Oregonian
August 29, 2013
The Bureau of Labor and Industries has ordered a North Portland bar owner to pay $400,000 to a group of cross-dressers he banned from his club last year, the agency said Thursday.
The bureau's civil rights division began investigating The Twilight Room Annex, formerly known as The P Club, last summer after owner Chris Penner told The Rose City T-Girls not to return to the bar. It was the first complaint filed by Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian. The bureau's deputy commissioner issued the final order. Read #25-13 Final Order.
In his defense he said,
Penner last year said he is neither homophobic nor anti-transgender people. He once hosted a weekly queer dance night in the space, and a gay pool team has practiced in the bar. But, he said, other customers complained that the T-Girls left the stall doors open and seats up in the women's restrooms.He say people thought he had a tranny bar and was losing money hand over fist and some people had sympathy for him. What was he to do?
Penner said business had declined since the T-girls started coming to the bar. Between eight and 54 T-Girls came in on Friday nights. But all other P Club customers stopped coming, Penner said. In 2009, the bar sold a total of $110,000 in drinks on Friday nights, Penner said. By 2012, that dropped to $81,000.
Substitute “Jew” for transgender, suppose he told Jewish people not to come in because he was losing money, would that be OK? I think everyone would say that was wrong; then why is it OK to ban trans-people?
Also in Oregon,
Lesbian couple refused wedding cake files state discrimination complaintWhen there was segregation in the south, it was justified because their religious beliefs, they said that the Bible called for segregation of the races.
By Maxine Bernstein
The Oregonian
August 14, 2013
A same-sex couple who requested a cake for their wedding in January but were refused service by a Gresham bakery have filed a complaint with the state, alleging Sweet Cakes by Melissa discriminated against them based on their sexual orientation.
Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries' civil rights division will investigate to determine if the business violated the Oregon Equality Act of 2007, which protects the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations.
[...]
"Respondent cited a religious belief for its refusal to make cakes for same-sex couples planning to marry," the complaint says.
Klein earlier this year told The Oregonian that he and his wife, Melissa, turn down requests to bake cakes for same-sex marriages because that goes against their Christian faith and cited their freedom of religious opinion. He has denied disparaging the couple.
It is simple; if you open a business to the public, you must serve all of the public and you cannot pick and choose who you want to serve.
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