In general we LGBT Virginians look across the Potomac to Washington, D.C., and Maryland with envy. Compared to Virginia where ant-gay bigotry is virtually incorporated into the state's laws, our neighbors to the north are beacons of liberalism and equality - especially since both have passed legislation allowing same sex marriage. But that does not mean that those locales are devoid of anti-gay bigots, Christofascists and modern day Pharisee types. A case in point comes from the picturesque City of Annapolis, Maryland where the Christofascists who own Discover Annapolis Tours are axing all wedding services rather that provides services to same sex couples as required by the Maryland public accommodation laws (Virginia, of course, has no such laws that would protect same sex couples or single LGBT citizens). Both the Annapolis Patch and the Baltimore Sun have coverage of the smug bigotry of the company's owner, Matt Grubbs (pictured above) that resulted in the move. First highlights from the Sun article:
An Annapolis company whose old-fashioned trolleys are iconic in the city's wedding scene has abandoned the nuptial industry rather than serve same-sex couples.
The owner of Discover Annapolis Tours said he decided to walk away from $50,000 in annual revenue instead of compromising his Christian convictions when same-sex marriages become legal in Maryland in less than a week. And he has urged prospective clients to lobby state lawmakers for a religious exemption for wedding vendors.
Yes, you read that correctly, Grubbs and his fellow bigots want the special right to ignore the law and a special privilege of discriminating against everyday citizens. The selfishness and self centered focus of the Christofascist truly knows no boundaries. The Patch article contains this:
The email was provided to Patch by Chris Belkot on Nov. 29. He received it from Grubbs after Belkot inquired about using the company's wedding services this spring.
Grubbs confirmed the email, and said his attorney advised him to shut down the wedding part of his business immediately because he could be sued for refusing services to same-sex couples.
"We’re a Christian-owned company, and we just can't support gay marriages," Grubbs said. "We're not trying to make a statement. We're not trying to make a point. We're just trying to be faithful Christians."
Grubbs' business, which provided trolley cars to transport wedding parties and guests from churches to receptions, still provides tours and other site seeing services.
Frankly, the "faithful Christian" batshitery makes me want to vomit. If Grubbs is like other Christofascists, he likely votes Republican and would give tax cuts to the obscenely wealthy while cutting services to the poor and hungry. He by extension also likely opposes extending health care to the uninsured, wants to disenfranchise blacks, and wants to control women's bodies. Not exactly the stuff Christ spoke of in the Gospels. The feigned piety and hypocrisy is simply unbelievable. But, nowadays, that is what most often defines those who like to loudly proclaim themselves as being "faithful Christians."
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