I recently heard about a woman who lost a lawsuit because she refused to photograph a same sex wedding. She was an individual who was strongly opposed to same sex marriage and didn’t wish for those images to be a part of her portfolio. From a Las Cruces Sun News article:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—A professional photographer who refused to take pictures of a gay couple’s commitment ceremony because of her religious beliefs violated New Mexico discrimination law, a human rights panel ruled.Vanessa Willock filed a complaint with the New Mexico Human Rights Commission in 2006, contending that Albuquerque photographer Elaine Huguenin told her she photographed only traditional marriages. Huguenin and her husband, Jon, own Elane Photography.
The commission’s one-page ruling Wednesday said Elane Photography violated the state Human Rights Act by discriminating against Willock on the basis of sexual orientation, and should pay $6,637 for Willock’s attorney’s fees and costs.
Willock, through her attorney, said in an e-mail that she was pleased by the finding.
As an individual who works in retail I sometimes wonder about discrimination law. There are some customers who just aren’t worth having. Is it ok to discriminate based on attitude. If someone is plain rude to you do you have to do business with them?
On the other side of the equation, as a watchmaker many watch companies refuse to do business with me (sell me parts) because I don’t sell their watches, or because my shop is not adequate, or because I don’t have the right training, and sometimes with no reason given. Is this discrimination?
I personally feel that you should be able to choose your customers as long as your denying them service does not harm their physical well being. I’m not sexist or racist or anything like that but I think if you don’t want to sell your product or service you shouldn’t have to.
I would never refuse to fix the watch of an individual with homosexual tendencies. And if they want to buy a Rolex, by all means - come on in, we’ll sell you one. But I would draw the lines at activities that glorify or encourage behavior I disagree with on a moral level. A photographer is an artist and their portfolio defines them. I don’t see why the photographer can’t choose their subjects. An artist can refuse a commissioned work of art, can’t they? Nobody told Ansel Adams he should photograph in color and they shouldn’t have the right.
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