Indy bakery could lose lease for turning away gays

[meegbear]

The owners of a cookie shop that has operated for more than two decades at the Indianapolis City Market could face eviction.

But it's the reason behind that possible eviction that is raising provocative questions that pit the rights and moral beliefs of a business owner against the obligation of the city to do all it can to prevent discrimination and encourage tolerance.

The city is investigating whether the owner of Just Cookies engaged in discrimination last week when he cited moral objections to homosexuality as his reason for declining a customer's request to provide rainbow-iced cookies for a "National Coming Out Day" event planned next week at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

"That could be grounds for taking away their stand in the market," said Wayne Schmidt, president of the City Market Board, who said Just Cookies is on a month-to-month lease. "I'd hate to lose them, but we can't tolerate any kind of discrimination like that."

A spokesman for Mayor Greg Ballard said the city's Office of Equal Opportunity is looking into the matter because it involves a tenant of a city-owned property.

"The mayor was certainly dismayed and wants to make it clear that a person's values, morality and personal beliefs are absolutely not relevant to making a purchase at the City Market," said Robert Vane, the mayor's deputy chief of staff.

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http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100930/NEWS02/310010004

[saltpoint]

1. And why in God's name hasn't Mike Pence spoken

out on those demonic cupcakes that are either gay cupcakes outright, or whose frosting is so multi-colored that they could turn a person gay just by eating one of them?

This is a crisis, dammit. I expect more from our elected officials. Get off your butt and DO something about these gay cupcakes, Congressman!

[Javaman]

2. this moron is in biz for 20 years and only now he has a problem with

gay people? Sounds like this jackass, like many of the tea bagging ball licking jackasses of late, has taken a big drink of the old kool-ade.

Fuck him, I hope he gets slapped with a massive fine that makes him scream.