The LBGT community in North Carolina just got a big show of solidarity from none other than Bruce Springsteen.First off, I have a problem with this being called an "anti-gay" or "anti-LGBT" law, but that's a post for a different time. I'm afraid this is going to lead to every establishment open to the public having to make 16 - 20 different bathrooms, leading to an ever-escalating "bathroom equality war" where we have new and unique special snowflakes that need to be catered to. Honestly, the bathroom is binary: you have an innie or an outie. Period. I don't see why this is an issue at all.
The rock icon announced Friday on his official website that he is canceling Sunday's scheduled show in Greensboro to protest the state's newly passed House Bill 2 — dubbed the "bathroom law" — which dictates which public restrooms may be used by transgender individuals and prevents LGBT individuals to sue over human rights violations in the workplace.
Secondly, to get something else out of the way: Springsteen has every right in the world to cancel his concert. Happens all the time, often over illness or weather-related or any other number of instances. It's his show, his rules. If he honestly feels that strongly, good on him for taking a stance.
What I really want to know, though, is this: What do you suppose the Venn diagram of "people that applaud Springsteen's decision to cancel his show in NC" and "people who think Christian bakers should be forced to make cakes for gay weddings" looks like? I'd wager that's pretty close to a circle. To be intellectually honest and consistent, if you think someone that provides a service (whether that be a baker or a singer) should be forced to provide said service to their public regardless of how they feel about said public, then Springsteen should have been forced to put on that concert.
The whole "Christian bakers need to be forced to make cakes" business is ludicrous to say the least. It's a free-market solution in search of a problem: I'd wager there's plenty of bakers out there perfectly happy to take your money in exchange for a cake. I'd wager there's plenty that would make a cake for the Lord High Chuthulu as long as your money's green. If a baker feels so principled that they would turn away perfectly good cash money, well, power to them. Maybe they'll make their business up making cakes for other small-minded people.
Then again, I have to wonder about the mindset of someone that would want to eat a cake prepared by someone they forced to make it...
That is all.
12 comments:
I'm afraid this is going to lead to every establishment open to the public having to make 16 - 20 different bathrooms, leading to an ever-escalating "bathroom equality war" where we have new and unique special snowflakes that need to be catered to.
More likely is that new construction buildings will do away with communal bathrooms and install a hallway full of individual unisex bathrooms. Older buildings will, at great expense (natch) be forced to retrofit to individual bathrooms, also. It will definitely mean an end to the manufacture of urinals. A side-effect of this set of changes will be that the domestic battle over the toilet seat (UP or DOWN!) will move into the workplace.
Instead of a "mens" and a "womens" bathrooms, make them a "urinals" and a "toilets (behind doors)" bathrooms. If you're that worried about perverts make the walls full length between them. That way there is no gender assumption required. If you want to use a urinal you head for that bathroom. If you want to use a toilet you head for that bathroom. Problem solved.
Or hell, put the urinals behind doors and make all bathrooms unisex. Problem even more solved. I've yet to flip my lid when I walk into a womens bathroom and find a (very blatantly) male standing there washing his hands (usually because there's an issue with the mens room, but occasionally because he ended up in there to help a daughter or other female relation who had a problem).
"To be intellectually honest and consistent, if you think someone that provides a service (whether that be a baker or a singer) should be forced to provide said service to their public regardless of how they feel about said public, then Springsteen should have been forced to put on that concert."
Intellectually honest!?!? They're not capable! This is anti-Christian, pure and simple.
There is NO intellectual honesty on the left... Sigh... Far as I'm concerned, tear out all the walls, make 'em all unisex and open... WYSIWYG!!!
The "you must let xy use xx bathrooms" laws affect churches. We are going through that here in my little corner of WV. Certain members want to pass such a law that requires all public entities to allow people to use the bathroom they feel like using regardless of biology. Any church that provides charitable assistance to people outside their own denomination is considered a public entity and therefore will be required by law to do this regardless of religious beliefs or desire to protect children.
The "you must let xy use xx bathrooms" laws affect churches. We are going through that here in my little corner of WV. Certain members want to pass such a law that requires all public entities to allow people to use the bathroom they feel like using regardless of biology. Any church that provides charitable assistance to people outside their own denomination is considered a public entity and therefore will be required by law to do this regardless of religious beliefs or desire to protect children.
I guess Bruce only takes money from like minded people?
Maybe he has a purity test before downloading songs.
Gerry
The problem with teh bakers was the couple demanded a custom cake, instead of a standard stocked type. That is where I think the line should be drawn. An off-the-shelf product? No problem. You demand I use my creativity to celebrate something I don't agree with? Nope, not going there.
They won't eat the cake, they won't buy the cake. They just want the baker to bend his knee to his new master. This is totally political. The Christian bakers (florists, photographers) should just smile and say, "I'd be glad to do your wedding", then the activists would just go away and try to find another victim.
Springsteen took a lot of people's money up front for a service he then refused to provide it.
How many Christian bakers and photographers took money up front, then refused to provide their services?
I said years ago that the core of this was going to he forcing churches to submit because it's never been about rights or equality. It's about power.
I said years ago that the core of this was going to he forcing churches to submit because it's never been about rights or equality. It's about power.
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