I assume that at least some of our members will say, "yes it can and should".
The specific case in question is about a photographer in New Mexico who refused to photograph a gay marriage. The case made it all the way to the New Mexico Supreme Court where they decided that the photographer must photograph gay marriages even if he doesn't want to.
Refusal to photograph New Mexico same-sex couple ruled illegalInterestingly, the ACLU was representing the plaintiffs in this case..In refusing to photograph the ceremony, Elane Photography violated the New Mexico Human Rights Act in the same way that it would have if the company had refused to photograph an inter-racial wedding, the New Mexico Supreme Court said.
"We conclude that a commercial photography business that offers its services to the public, thereby increasing its visibility to potential clients, is subject to the anti-discrimination provisions of the and must serve same-sex couples on the same basis that it serves opposite-sex couples," the court ruled.
I have a lot of problems with this decision. Wouldn't the easiest course of action be for the couple to find another photographer who's willing to take their money? How can you force someone to photograph your even, and why would you want to? What if you think the photographer did a deliberately lousy job? Can you take him to court for that too? Can the government enforce a standard of quality for the service as well as forcing you to provide it?
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