FollowUp 3: Discrimination Upside Down

Victoria Childress is an Iowa baker who has been in the new for refusing to sell a wedding cake to a lesbian couple.  As reported by KCCI on Saturday,

Trina Vodraska and Janelle Sievers, who are engaged to be married, said planning for their June wedding took an unexpected turn during a taste-testing appointment Thursday afternoon.

"It shouldn't be a gay or straight issue. It's a people issue," Sievers said."They came in and she introduced herself, and I said, 'Is this your sister?' (She said,) 'No, this is my partner.' I said, 'OK,' and I asked them to sit down and I said, 'We need to talk,'" said Victoria Childress, who runs her cake baking business from home. "I said, 'I'll tell you I'm a Christian, and I do have convictions.' And I said, 'I'm sorry to tell you, but I'm not going to be able to do your cake."

According to Fox News Radio yesterday, Ms. Vodraska and Ms. Sievers did call Ms. Childress a bigot in a statement that they released.  A boycott was called for on Facebook.  Ms. Childress was acting in violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Act,

216.7   Unfair practices — accommodations or services.  

1.  It shall be an unfair or discriminatory practice for any owner, lessee, sublessee, proprietor, manager, or superintendent of any public accommodation or any agent or employee thereof:
  a.  To refuse or deny to any person because of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, or disability the accommodations, advantages, facilities, services, or privileges thereof, or otherwise to discriminate against any person because of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, or disability in the furnishing of such accommodations, advantages, facilities, services, or privileges.

Ms Childress was quoted by Fox News Radio as saying

“I’m being attacked because of my beliefs – my convictions to their lifestyle,” she said.

So, once again the bigot is complaining that she is the victim. The pattern of discriminators thinking that they are the ones being discriminated continues.  Thanks to Joe My God for the heads up.

6 October 2011, Original Pedantic Political Ponderings article

10 October 2011, FollowUp 1

11 October 2011, FollowUp 2