Is this fair?

[Cinjin]

The photographer has every right to refuse a gig. Imagine he was a black photographer and a KKK group asked him to shoot their annual cross burning.
As much as I despise homophobes, he should have the right to decline any job he wishes.

The only way he should be held liable for damages is if he did not give adequate notice of his intentions prior to the event - which in turn would have allowed the plaintiffs to secure a different photographer.




On a side note:
Christians are such fucking douche bag hypocrites. "Hey bigoted christard, did you and Jesus go out and kill any homos today?"

[Angrboda]

The photographer has every right to refuse a gig. Imagine he was a black photographer and a KKK group asked him to shoot their annual cross burning.
As much as I despise homophobes, he should have the right to decline any job he wishes.

This question also comes up in more serious contexts where religious beliefs conflict with the delivery of medicine and medical services. The case of whether a pharmacist can refuse to fill a prescription for birth control pills, whether a pharmacy should be required to do so despite objections of its owners, and whether religiously owned hospitals should be required to offer full services, including abortion, contraception, and other reproductive services, regardless of whether or not it conflicts with their religious beliefs.

[Cinjin]

The photographer has every right to refuse a gig. Imagine he was a black photographer and a KKK group asked him to shoot their annual cross burning.
As much as I despise homophobes, he should have the right to decline any job he wishes.

This question also comes up in more serious contexts where religious beliefs conflict with the delivery of medicine and medical services. The case of whether a pharmacist can refuse to fill a prescription for birth control pills, whether a pharmacy should be required to do so despite objections of its owners, and whether religiously owned hospitals should be required to offer full services, including abortion, contraception, and other reproductive services, regardless of whether or not it conflicts with their religious beliefs.

Where ones own health and body are concerned there is a special condition that could easily be put into place if we didn't have to deal with religious asshats.
For me this argument could be easily overcome where it exclusively involves the practice of medicine.
Somewhere between the taking of the Hippocratic Oath and the issuing of one's license to practice medicine, any potential doctor should be required to sign a statement that would make it illegal for them to deny any kind of medical treatment based on their religious beliefs. If a doctor is not willing to sign that form, then legally they don't get to become a doctor.

Problem solved.

[genkaus]

I heard an account recently of a Christian photographer somewhere in America who was contacted by a homosexual organisation to cover an event they were holding (I'm not sure what the event was but it was something benign I think). After realising he had been contacted by a homosexual organisation (and one that was supportive of gay rights) he refused the job on moral grounds because of their views on homosexuality.

He is now facing a discrimination lawsuit for his actions.

What is anyone's view of this, and where does your opinion stem from?

I think a person should have the right to refuse working for someone for whatever reasons he may choose - doesn't matter if he has refused gays or refused blacks.

[Polaris]

It took a while to find the case you were talking about....2006 is not "recent"...but it appears to be this one.

http://www.queerty.com/new-mexicos-frigh...-20091217/

The photographer violated the state's anti-discrimination law.

The fascist blogosphere is up in arms....but there is nothing new in that. They are up in arms about poor people seeing a doctor so fuck them.

Fuck your capitalist bitch President for further making healthcare into a monopoly.

[Minimalist]

Thanks for your opinion, dickwad.

[Polaris]

Thanks for your opinion, dickwad.

Well yes I am. What the fuck are you going to do about it?

[Faith No More]

Fuck your capitalist bitch President for further making healthcare into a monopoly.

Nice contribution.

Thanks for logging on.

[Hughsie]

Well, I guess it's time for me to come clean here.

The reason I was quite vague on the situation in the OP is that I completely fabricated it (though similar events may well have happened for all I know).

The reason for my deception is that I wanted to test something. Just before I made this poll I was reading a Christian article on gay rights. It mentioned a Christian photographer who was being sued for refusing to photograph a gay marriage and the article asked whether the people behind the lawsuit (and gay rights proponents in general) would condemn a gay photographer refusing to cover an anti gay marriage rally just as strongly (or think he should face a lawsuit at all). This got me thinking about my own position and that of the atheist community. I decided to test the suggestion that gay rights proponents (such as the general atheist community) would apply their views selectively by posting this poll here and an identical one (but with the situation reversed) here on AF.org. I figured that if both polls were consistent with each other and either supported or did not support the photographer then that would demonstrate reasonable objectivity across our communities as a whole. If the polls returned conflicting answers both supporting the homosexual person then it would demonstrate a bias in our communities towards supporting the homosexual over the Christian, regardless of the situation.

I'm pleased to say that our communities passed my experiment. Both polls were consistent with each other and supported the photographer. TTA voted that it was the right of a homosexual photographer to refuse a religious organisation's event and AF voted that it was the right of the Christian photographer to refuse a gay organisation's event.

[Napoléon]

IMO people should have the right to choose who they do business with. Regardless of whether you think their reasons are intolerant or batshit crazy.