‘No Cake For Gays’ In Arizona?

Left behind by the advance of gay marriage in the United States, the American conservative right wing is trying to slow down the movement. Its latest initiative is a law in Arizona that allows storekeepers and service providers to refuse to serve gay couples in the name of freedom of conscience. Legislators in this very conservative state in the country’s Southwest have just adopted the law, which its critics have nicknamed “no cake for gays.” Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has until Feb. 28 to decide whether to pass or veto the law.

Arizona is known for its pro-gun and anti-immigration stance. On this occasion, the fate of storekeepers who are hostile to gay marriages was what moved the Republican majority. SB 1062 aims to protect them if they refuse to provide services that go against their faith. Legislators reacted to an incident in the neighboring state of New Mexico. Christian photographer Elaine Huguenin, who had refused to photograph the engagement ceremony of two lesbians, had been sued for discrimination. She had argued that the government did not have the right to force her to work at a ceremony that violated her religious freedom. However, the state’s Supreme Court came to the conclusion that she was in the wrong.

Supporters of SB 1062 claim they are defending freedom of conscience, which the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees. ” … people of faith have a safe place in Arizona,” stated Doug Napier, attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, the group that is leading the fight against gay marriage. For human rights activists, the law is purely about discrimination. “We’d never allow discrimination against blacks or women on ‘religious’ grounds. Gays, lesbians should be no different,” reacted Kenneth Roth, head of Human Rights Watch, on Twitter.

A Weapon for Mobilization

In Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, demonstrators have taken up position in front of the state Capitol. Signs are appearing in cafes. One reads, “We reserve the right to refuse to serve Arizona legislators.” Opponents of the law have pointed out that storekeepers must serve customers. “You’re not serving God, you’re serving pizzas,” stated Mel Robbins, a radio presenter in favor of gay marriage.

The Chamber of Commerce has stood up against the law, as well as Republican Sen. John McCain. In two years, gay marriage has become commonplace in the United States. The Supreme Court endorsed it in June 2013, allowing homosexual couples to share federal pensions. Marriage is still illegal in some 30 states because of laws or constitutional amendments adopted in 2004, a time when Republicans turned it into a weapon for electoral mobilization, aiming to ensure George W. Bush’s re-election. Signaling a change in attitudes, it’s the left now that is planning to bring to a vote the repeal of anti-gay marriage measures in order to rouse its supporters for the coming congressional elections in November.