Every now and then a story comes up reminding me that yes, discrimination is still alive and well in blatant ways even though it’s 2011. Take this story that popped up today about the owner of a bridal store refusing to sell a dress to a woman. Why? Because the woman in question was a lesbian who was planning to enter a civil union in New Jersey and be married in New York.
Despite this, the owner of the store justified her actions by saying she didn’t want to associate with the future bride’s illegal action. Um, what? Getting married in a state that doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage isn’t in itself an illegal action in that you’re going to get thrown in jail if you do so. However, the marriage won’t be recognized by the state as valid, and as a result a couple won’t receive the non-romantic benefits that opposite-sex couples do. Unfortunately the owner has dug herself into a hole, as civil unions are legally recognized in New Jersey, and nearby New York recently legalized same-sex marriage.
According to a poll on the page, almost ten percent of the people who bothered to click the poll agree with the store owner’s actions. This is a completely unscientific poll, of course, and I wonder whether the actual percentage would be higher or lower thanks to the people who don’t believe in this ridiculous discrimination reading the article and voting.
Still, good to know that bridal shop is doing so well it can turn people away for silly reasons. The masses are doing their thing at Yelp, though some of those reviews could be pulled since a lot of the folks haven’t actually used the business. Here Comes the Bride? In New Jersey, only if you’re marrying someone of the opposite sex.