As this NPR article demonstrates, when “gay
rights” and religious liberty conflict, religious liberty usually loses. This is an important fact to emphasize as gay
couples are now obtaining marriage licenses in California.
A few examples cited by NPR:
A few cases: Yeshiva University was ordered
to allow same-sex couples in its married dormitory. A Christian school has been
sued for expelling two allegedly lesbian students. Catholic Charities abandoned
its adoption service in Massachusetts after it was told to place children with
same-sex couples. The same happened with a private company operating in
California.
A psychologist in Mississippi who refused
to counsel a lesbian couple lost her case, and legal experts believe that a
doctor who refused to provide IVF services to a lesbian woman is about to lose
his pending case before the California Supreme Court.
And then there's the case of a wedding
photographer in Albuquerque, N.M.
On January 28, 2008, the New Mexico Human
Rights Commission heard the case of Vanessa Willock v. Elane Photography.
Willock, in the midst of planning her
wedding to her girlfriend, sent the photography company an e-mail request to
shoot the commitment ceremony. Elaine Huguenin, who owns the company with her
husband, replied: "We do not photograph same-sex weddings. But thanks for
checking out our site! Have a great day!"
Willock filed a complaint, and at the
hearing she explained how she felt.
"A variety of emotions," she
said, holding back tears. "There was a shock and anger and fear. ... We
were planning a very happy day for us, and we're being met with hatred. That's
how it felt."
Willock declined to be interviewed, as did
the owners of Elane Photography. At the hearing, Jonathan Huguenin said that
when he and his wife formed the company two years ago, they made it company
policy not to shoot same-sex ceremonies, because the ceremonies conflicted with
their Christian beliefs.