A BLOGGER at Acts of the Apostasy has a very sensible proposal for small business that do not wish to support same-sex “marriage” but might be forced by discrimination suits to endorse it. He suggests that they donate a portion of their proceeds to organizations supporting traditional marriage. He writes:

Let’s use the example of the Christian bakery owner. All he would need to do is enact a company policy stating that some level of the profit, up to and including 100%, from any wedding reception contract, will be donated to organizations and/or candidates who support traditional marriage as between one man and one woman. This policy would have to be publicly posted within his establishment so as to remove any doubt from any customer where he stands on the issue. Thus, gay activists who want to order their cake from that bakery would understand in clear and precise terms that they will be funding organizations and/or candidates who stand for traditional marriage. Furthermore, this policy would affect every and any customer wishing to order a cake – gay, straight, whomever. Every wedding cake. Every platter of cannolis. Every dessert cart. That would eliminate any charge of discrimination, because everyone’s order would be helping to fund, say, the Family Research Council, or NOM.

— Comments —

Diana writes:

I am confused about this: “All he would need to do is enact a company policy stating that some level of the profit, up to and including 100%, from any wedding reception contract….”

A small business would quickly go out of business if they enacted such a policy.  Small businesses are more or less always existing on a thin profit margin. They are usually labors of love as much as livelihoods. (God bless them.)

Did the author not mean that the profits from any “same-sex wedding” contract would be donated to a traditionalist organization? That would make more sense.

I wonder if it’s legal for a profit-making vendor to charge a customer a charity surcharge, as long as the profits were donated, and paperwork was impeccable. That would be an interesting thing to find out.

“Sure, I’ll cater your so-called ‘same-sex wedding.’ But you will (a) pay a 10% surcharge, and (b) all profits plus the surchange will be donated to the Alliance For Traditional Marriage.”

I really love the idea of stating the policy in print, upfront, although I also am concerned that even this would invite government sanction. Of course, such sanctions are an abomination and completely against the law, sane public policy, and morality, but that would never stop a government (municipal, state or Federal) from trying it.

 Laura writes:

Businesses are free to spend their profits as they wish. There are quite a few businesses, I believe, that say they devote a portion of their proceeds to liberal causes. Isn’t that what Ben & Jerry’s always did when it was owned by Ben and Jerry? It’s not a surcharge.

Obviously, large amounts would be impossible for small businesses, but not if it was a small percentage, say three percent — enough to still be objectionable to some customers.

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