According to the New Civil Rights Movement, the owner of an Oregon bakery that illegally denied service to a same-sex couple seems to think that anti-discrimination laws mark the end of Western civilization.
“The people who work in the church building, the people who sit in the pews on Sunday are not protected,” Klein claimed. “You will have the rainbow flag flying above your church,” suggesting to not “will be considered hate.”
Of course, that’s false too.
“There is no difference,” Wiles continued, to which Klein says, “Yeah.”
“Rainbow flag, Nazi swastika, it’s the same thing,” Wiles lies. “It’s the same spirit behind it.”
We’re tempted to just say “no” and leave it at that. But allow us to elaborate: the First Amendment prevents the government from forcing churches (and homeowners, for that matter)to fly flags above their buildings. But it does not allow businesses like restaurants, bakeries, and hotels to violate anti-discrimination law. The First Amendment wasn’t a defense to racial discrimination in the 1960s, and it’s not a defense to anti-gay discrimination today.