Honestly, I think the only time you should be able to refuse service is if the customer is being an irate asshat who is causing problems or otherwise breaking the law (IE coming in naked). The right to refuse service for any reason doesn’t make sense unless being used to discriminate against something.
It’s a tough one to actually articulate properly. I am strongly against most discrimination. E.g. not serving blacks, or women.
At the same time there are situations where it’s justifiable. E.g. a bar not being willing to serve someone they think might cause trouble.
There are also grey areas. Selling a cake, Vs decorating a cake falls into that one. Selling a cake should not be used to discriminate. At the same time, I fully support a decorator’s right not to make a particular cake. E.g. a neo nazi group wanting a cake praising Hitler with extremely crude language. However, that same line would also allow a baker to refuse to sell a custom calendar to a gay couple.
Even limiting to goods could be grey. Selling eggs should be uncontroversial. But how about selling eggs and spray paint to a gaggle of giggling teens on Halloween?
In short, there are times it is completely acceptable to discriminate. Unfortunately, I am completely unable to actually articulate a good line, that doesn’t also protect bigoted arseholes.
Honestly, I think the only time you should be able to refuse service is if the customer is being an irate asshat who is causing problems or otherwise breaking the law (IE coming in naked). The right to refuse service for any reason doesn’t make sense unless being used to discriminate against something.
It’s a tough one to actually articulate properly. I am strongly against most discrimination. E.g. not serving blacks, or women.
At the same time there are situations where it’s justifiable. E.g. a bar not being willing to serve someone they think might cause trouble.
There are also grey areas. Selling a cake, Vs decorating a cake falls into that one. Selling a cake should not be used to discriminate. At the same time, I fully support a decorator’s right not to make a particular cake. E.g. a neo nazi group wanting a cake praising Hitler with extremely crude language. However, that same line would also allow a baker to refuse to sell a custom calendar to a gay couple.
Even limiting to goods could be grey. Selling eggs should be uncontroversial. But how about selling eggs and spray paint to a gaggle of giggling teens on Halloween?
In short, there are times it is completely acceptable to discriminate. Unfortunately, I am completely unable to actually articulate a good line, that doesn’t also protect bigoted arseholes.