Note: being an asshole is not a protected class [View all]

A lot of people seem to be equating refusal of service to Sarah Huckabee Sanders to illegal discrimination against people because they are gay.

These are legally and morally very different things.

As a small business owner, I cannot refuse service to someone based on their membership in a protected class - eg race, gender, sexual orientation (in some places/cases), nationality...

I can, however, refuse service to a racist piece of shit asshole. And I even keep a sign in the window saying as much, in more polite and civilized language, of course.

If someone comes into my business in a swastika t-shirt? Get the fuck out.

If someone comes into my business and tells another customer they are going to hell for being gay? Get the fuck out.

If someone comes into my business and mutters under their breath about a trans woman who is a regular here? SEE YA.

If someone comes into my business and bitches about all the different languages you can hear people speaking in the (very diverse) neighborhood? BYE FELICIA.

If Sarah Huckabee Sanders comes into my business? Or Ivanka Trump? Or Rick Snyder? Or Betsy DeVos? Or Stephen Miller? HOLD ON WHILE I TURN MY CELL PHONE CAMERA ON BECAUSE I WANT THE WORLD TO SEE ME TELL YOU TO FUCK OFF.

These things are not only legal, but imho moral. The normalization of these attitudes is dangerous as hell, and I think it is a moral person's job to call it out and make clear that it is NOT ACCEPTABLE.