Natalie Weiss, a transgender woman, was let go from her job at a Lincoln, Nebraska coffee shop Cultiva Espresso & Crepes on Wednesday (September 11) after she declined service to Marilyn Synek, who is employed by the Nebraska Family Alliance.
Nebraska Family Alliance is a rather nasty anti-LGBTQ organization that I would personally deem to be a hate group. I have some familiarity with Marilyn Synek who is employed by the organization as a communications specialist. She is an odious employee of an odious organization with an odious agenda.
I have several layers over what Ms. Weiss did. The coffee shop is first and foremost a business. I doubt that Ms. Weiss was authorized to refuse service to a customer. More importantly, we in the LGBTQ community expect service irrespective of our sexuality in public accommodations. We should demonstrate that we recognize that service is just a business transaction; goods or services for money.
Almost daily I champion the rights of transgender people and I vigorously promote acceptance of, and kindness to, trans kids. I would like to think that we are the informed critical thinkers. We are better than to refuse service. I have often said that I would bake a damned cake for Westboro Baptist Church. I might inform them that the profits will be donated to GLSEN but I would bake the cake.
As a retired CEO I have no reservation in writing that I would have terminated Ms. Weiss immediately. If possible I would have apologized to the customer notwithstanding my intense dislike of everything that she stands for.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be civil and do NOT link to anti-gay sites!
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.