Media Matters for America reports, the case of Lakewood bakery owner Jack Phillips, who, while open to the public as a baker and meeting the legal test of a "public accommodation," just can't bring himself to bake a cake for a gay couple, is turning into a frightening business in the minds of right-wing talk radio hosts and the "family values" activists who love them:
Texas Values president Jonathan Saenz agreed with a right-wing radio host that gay activists are trying to put Christians in concentration camps, asserting that the gay rights movement wants "to put people in jail" if they disagree with marriage equality and "the homosexual lifestyle."
In a June 20 interview with Raging Elephants Radio, Saenz condemned a recent Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruling affirming that a Denver-area baker had violated the state's non-discrimination law by refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex couple. Host Claver Kamau-Imani asked Saenz whether the ruling was tantamount to sending the baker to a "concentration camp." Saenz agreed, asserting that there's "no question" gay rights supporters ultimately aim to imprison opponents of LGBT equality…
The meaty stuff transcribed:
KANAU-IMANI: Alright, let's get back to Colorado…so the homosexual couple, whether it's man and man, woman and woman, whatever, they go to this specially created commission to deal with this, file a complaint against the business, and so the commission says 'No, you're gonna make this cake, plus, you're going to go to concentration camp,' essentially. Is that what you're telling us, Jonathan?
SAENZ: That's right, that's right. [Pols emphasis]
Now first of all, the state Civil Rights Commission merely upheld a judge's ruling against Phillips from last year. The judge imposed no fines against Phillips, simply ordering him to, you know, stop discriminating. Reportedly, Phillips must submit quarterly statements affirming that he is no longer discriminating in his business, and make sure his employee policies are clear discrimination isn't legal. But just so everybody reading this understands, the potential penalty for discriminating against gay people in your Colorado place of business does not now and never did include "concentration camps."
To be honest, the worst part may be having to explain this at all. If you have to actually persuade someone that no, the state of Colorado is not putting anti-gay discriminators in camps, there's a good chance that individual isn't worth the effort.
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Jeez. The next thing you know they are going to be sending them to the lions. Hope this doesn't knock Colorado out of contention for the RNC convention.
I'm guessing it would be a 'plus' for luring the Repubs to town for the convention…
I'm guessing they would run away at top speed … too many closeted delegates.
Do you then have to bring the cake to your fellow inmates? And can it have a file baked inside?
The problem with your picture of the gulag is that it's inaccurate. There should be rainbow flags and pink flamingos outside the barbed wire. And there will be no cake served in the gulag. Just quiche.
Camps?? nah, we need insane asylums to keep these baggers from hurting themselves and others…
We like to call them Reeducation Camps, thank you.
Nope. In the case of these fools, they're just "education camps" — there's no "re" about it!
You shouldn't make jokes. This radio host was clearly exaggerating, but religious beliefs should always be respected.
So, if someone has a religious belief is that all right-wing bigots should be denied the right to marry, vote, or own a gun, you'd be okay with that?
Well-played.
Yeah. Tell that to mohammed, dumbass.
Moddy- As usual you've neglected to tell us all why "religious beliefs" should be respected. Respect is earned. Jokes are entirely appropriate. Ridicule is the only response to the ridiculous.
My prediction: Upon taking office in January, Dr. Chaps' first bill will be to outlaw concentration camps for cake bakers in Colorado.
Actually, you can look at Klingenschmitt's platform here. "If Chaps were in Charge 1-20." They are trading cards, I shit you not.
See Chaps Trading Card #13. This is interesting. Stop sending taxes to Washington. That'll work. Each state would basically have its own fiefdom. Federal highways? Dams? EPA regulations? Renewable energy projects? Not if Chaps were in charge….
It's pretty scary funny, and pretty funny scary.
Hey, whoda thunk it? Chaps likes Local Control! of school education, by whichever right wing Christian evangelistic group yells the loudest! See "If Chaps were in charge" card #12.
I don't think you'll be seeing too much of Moddy until he hooks up with another campaign.
Ridiculous. You ought to be chastisting me for making light of the horrors of the Viet Cong, instead of for making fun of a radio host's penchant for exagerration–not his religious beliefs.
Otherwise, a purely irrational statement on your part.
The esteemed David Edwards has noticed. Probably still off the RNC radar, though.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/24/texas-values-leader-says-gay-people-planning-concentration-camps-over-wedding-cakes/
I am in favor of Christianists being picked by the UN (black helicopters) and sent to concentration camps.