There is a pending piece of legislation in the state of Iowa that would, among other things, allow the owners of a business to refuse service to individuals that are in a same-sex marriage.
You can read a story about it HERE.
Now what's the harm here? Plenty. How much of a reach is it from "homosexuals offend my moral sensibilities" to "African Americans offend my moral sensibilities" to "Jews offend my moral sensibilities"? Hell, what if Christians offend my moral sensibilities?
What's more, how does one tell that two same-sex individuals are married, as opposed to you and a male buddy going out for a bite to eat? Maybe there is a some language in the pending statue that would require homosexuals to wear a pink triangle armband?
I suppose the libertarians out there would argue that a business should be free to serve (or not serve) anyone they want. I actually can understand that argument far better than I can the "offended moral sensibilities" case for this legislation. Even the libertarian argument falls flat because it eventually leads to some form of de-evolved tribal society where I, as a businessperson, only serves people who are just like me. Is that the kind of society we really want for ourselves and our children?
Now just to head this off at the pass I'll make the following comment: If you are a businessperson and two gay people are "making out" in your establishment you should be able to ask them to leave...just like you should be able to ask a heterosexual couple doing the same thing to leave. The point? Judge based on actions and conduct, not some quasi-invisible legal construct like gay marriage.
Don't like gay marriage? Then don't be gay. And then don't get married.
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