Okay, I'm going to attempt to put the brakes on this thread turning into a cake debate, as that wasn't it's original intent, rather it was to
simply recognize a primarily southern subsidiarity of a larger company making a voluntary endevour towards progressive tolerance on the account of LGBT people. Whether it's nothing more than political correctness, or just the company trying to obtain favorable P.R., who are we to criticize? It's
their business after all. How can we in good conscious kick dirt at them for their stand (which is their right), and turn around and be totally cool with more bigoted businesses? Further, if it's nothing more then P.R. (which seems to be implied), still yet, how is that any different that the political grandstanding of more right wing businesses who take the utmost pride in their shunning of folks they don't agree with?
But let's bring this back home to the matter of men in skirts, or rather men's choice to wear whatever they want, which is what this whole site is
really about...
I think we're all ignoring the 800lb gorilla in the room... we were all (with the exception of a few members such as Jenn and others like her) born of the male sex. That will never change for it is in the past. This was how our creator made us, human beings with penises. Thus, we have no choice on this matter, regardless of what we call ourselves today, we will always have it in our past that we were born male, and still most of the membership on this site still identifies with that, myself included.
Hypothetically, if we were to be turned away from a business, fired, or discriminated in any manner simply for the reason of wearing a skirt or dress, than it IS discrimination, and SHOULD be illegal on the simple grounds that woman can and do wear skirts and dresses. Simply put, if we were born with vaginas rather than penises, then we simply wouldn't be having this discussion, period.
Now.. back to that fat gorilla... RELIGION IS A CHOICE... OUR SEX IS NOT.
Why do we so faithfully (pardon the pun) defend one (religion) with such passion, yet ignore the other (our sex) in matters such as this? How is this any different from turning away someone because they're black, or Asian, Indian, or any other race? Granted, sex and race are two different matters, yet BOTH share one SAME COMMON DENOMINATOR: that being that both are a matter of how our creator made us-
not a choice.
Further, women can AND DO wear whatever they want! It's a two fold double standard! Not only can women wear skirts and dresses, despite the fact that men across the eons of human history have ALSO worn skirts an dresses as a part of their culture, but woman are also culturally allowed to wear trousers and pants, even of the men's side of the store!
Nope... that's not right, you can't sit here and ignore one person's rights and take no issue with the others. If a business were to discriminate on the grounds of a man wearing a skirt or dress... that's fine. I don't want to see them serve women who wear cargo pants, people with tattoo's, cakes baked for couples who were previously divorced, folks who enjoy pork and shell fish.
What's even more interesting is how the religious right takes such a big issue with these "sins" while completely ignoring the "big ten" (commandments), you know they ones they like to erect on court house lawns and school hallways? So lets turn away everyone who breaks any one of these:
You shall have no other gods before Me.
Okay, most right wing religious type probably adhere to this one pretty faitfully...
You shall not make idols.
Most every Christian I know does this in some capacity. Many are not opposed to having statues, talismans, or even worshiping secular things like foot ball,
money, and the material things that are bought with it [money].
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
Well, scratch my right wing father off the list, he cusses like a sailor (no offense Carl) I'll grant that a fair number of Christians don't take the lords name in vain, but than again, a fair number also do!
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Oh let me just LAUGH OUT LOUT! NOBODY DOES THIS!
As a lifelong retail worker, it always ticked me to observe the "church rush" in virtually every restaurant. They start to shuffle in about 1230pm in their Sunday best. Funny... they're supposed to be at home praying,
CERTAINLY NOT supporting any business with such a savage heathen custom as working on the sabbath! *gasp!*
Honor your father and your mother.
Some Christians do, most do not, and we've got the overflowing domestic court dockets to prove it!
You shall not murder.
Okay, this one is pretty easy for most people I think....
You shall not commit adultery.
Another laughable commandment.
Biblically speaking,
EVERYONE commits adultery.. better start voiding those marriage licenses NOW!
You shall not steal.
Okay, fair enough, I'll even forget the little things like stealing a pen, or "forgetting" to return that power tool to your neighbor who loaned it to you. But lots of people have on their records some type of breaking and entering, theft, etc. Do we turn those people away? God knows retailers would have justifiable cause to, as theft is probably the ONLY commandment that would actually INJURE a retailer.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
I can think of a lot of private and public investigators, department of justice, forensic analyst and polygraph administrators who would be out of a job if everyone followed this one... to quote Dr. House... "
everybody lies". (and they do!
)
You shall not covet.
Ahh... my favorite one! Lets face it guys...
To Envy is to be American! If we didn't covet each other's stuff, the whole economy would come crashing down! This
IS the essence of the "keeping up with the Jones's mentality". Everyone, including churches have to make it bigger and better! Everyone wants to be number one! Everyone wants that big car, that big house, that trophy wife/husband!
So lets just cut the crap here... unless as proprietor,or even a lowly cashier is prepared to live according to "the big ten", then who are they to get all bent out of shape about one of the sin's (I.E. men who wear clothes intended for women
)
that isn't even on the list!?
It's nothing more than hate filled bigotry hiding behind a bible, and if you're trading on a secular business license, open to the public... well.. that public includes everyone! It's just that simple.
You see, it's not so much the "rights" of this person or that person that bug me, it's the HYPOCRISY, it's this swelling American self righteous, holier than thou mentality that's spreading like a virus among the religious sector of the west, and even Joe six pack who has a prejudice against ANYONE different from themselves, who by the way probably goes to church maybe twice a year and MIGHT be able to quote John 3:16... but that's it, will hide behind Mike Huckabee's blank bible and say "
I ain't gonna do nutin fer dem gawd da_n [0] fa_ots 'cause Gawd say it be-a sin, and we betta than that o'er hea..."
[0] Whoops... didn't we just break one...? BTW: I put the above example in quotes because I actually have people in my family who have said this....