We've had a photographer in New Mexico, a bakery in Oregon, a pizzeria in Indiana, a t-shirt company in Kentucky, and now a DJ company in Maryland.
How courts will handle and balance discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation against religious liberty issues may get tested (again) in Maryland. A Maryland disc jockey has refused to play at a gay man's birthday party. The gay man's roommate has now filed a discrimination complaint, and Maryland is one of the states with sexual orientation protections provided in its accommodations laws.
From Towleroad:
According to The Washington Post, Dani Tsakounis contacted Ultrasound Deejays on behalf of her brother, Tom Tsakounis, who is throwing a birthday party for his roommate in August.
Card_mikelampirisBut when Michael Lampiris, co-owner of UltraSound, found out the party is for a gay man—and that Tom Tsakounis and his husband share a home with the man—Lampiris declined the booking.
Maryland has a law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, but one legal expert suggested the case could test the balance between religious freedom and LGBT equality.
According to UltraSound Deejays' website, the company "will not be involved in any event involving homosexual celebration or activity. We follow biblical morality."
Lampiris told WaPo that if the case goes to court, “we would make a stand if the good Lord is willing,” and that, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
And, from the
Washington Post:
Hearing his sister tell what happened, Tsakounis said, and reading the Ultrasound policy “made me feel like I got hit in the stomach. You feel like: ‘C’mon, in my neighborhood?’ But: Wow, yes — in my neighborhood.”
Lampiris sounded unconcerned about a possible legal challenge. Their firm, which has at times had a roster of 40 DJ-contractors, has turned down other events, he said, such as when a teacher wouldn’t promise to work to stop raunchy dancing among students, or when he found out a bridal party included several lesbians.
In this case, Lampiris said he had never heard of a related law, “but it’s important for us to make a stand. We don’t want to go against the law, but we also sometimes are called to do that if it goes against your faith. To me it would be like a synagogue having to cater to a neo-Nazi party or black DJ having to do a KKK dance,” he said. Gay clients don’t pose a “physical threat – it’s a conscience thing, and conscience is very important for everybody. In fact, I think it’s the most important thing.”
I probably would not file one of these suits because of the hassle involved. I would, however, argue/discuss biblical interpretation and theology if someone started preaching to me about it. My view is that these folks are simply hiding bigotry and homophobia behind poor theology. Most of these folks have never really studied the relevant biblical passages as I have.