Discrimination isn’t justified

In her March 13 letter, Clara House argues that florists should be able to deny service to same-sex couples on religious grounds. She should understand that religion does not justify discrimination.

One does not have to seek a livelihood in providing a public service, but public services, at least in states such as Washington, have to be provided equally. I know it is difficult for some people to accept that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens warrant equal treatment. That is the thing about prejudice: It always feels natural and self-justified.

Across the country, we have seen incremental steps to ensure equal protection under the law. Utah recently became the 19th state to grant nondiscrimination protection to gay and lesbian citizens in areas of housing and employment. Utah, in fact, went beyond some more traditionally progressive states by including transgender people as well.

However, the law does not extend to the providing of public services (as the law does in Washington), and it makes certain exemptions on the basis of religion. Eventually, those exemptions will not withstand federal court scrutiny, and even Utah will come to see that religion is no license for treating fellow Americans as less than equal.

John Mason

Spokane Valley