On June 24, there was a minor controversy at the “Chicago Dyke March.” Three Jewish lesbians were ejected from the gay pride event because they showed up waving rainbow flags that had stars of David on them. They were accosted by Palestinian sympathizers. March organizers then told them, “Your flag looks too much like Israeli flags because of the star, and that it is triggering to people and it makes them feel unsafe.”
The incident became national news after Gretchen Rachel Hammond, a reporter for the Chicago LGBT newspaper Windy City Times, reported it. This Tuesday, we learned that Hammond is no longer a reporter for the Windy City Times and has been moved to the paper’s sales desk, while she looks for editorial work elsewhere. It’s not entirely clear that this is a punitive action against Hammond for her reporting but Hammond says, “I’m still a part of the company, and it’s my only source of income. To keep what job I have, I can’t comment on it. As an employee of Windy City Times who has loved the company and loved her role in the company for the past four years, I have to respect my publisher’s decision.” So there’s that.
Also, consider this related development: On June 26, the Supreme Court announced that it was taking up the case of Jack Phillips, a bakery owner in Denver. Phillips has been found guilty of violating discrimination statutes for refusing to provide a wedding cake for a gay wedding. Phillips offered to sell the couple anything else in his store and even refer the couple to a different bakery that would provide the cake, but Phillips argues that his Christian conscience would not allow him to participate in a ceremony that runs contrary to his beliefs.
Phillips also operates his business according to other strict Christian principles—for instance, he also won’t bake Halloween themed cakes. Further, he argues that as a creative professional who designs and bakes unique cakes, demanding he bake a cake he doesn’t want to is government compelled expression that he doesn’t agree with.
The Jewish lesbians in Chicago and the Christian baker in Denver seem worlds apart in terms of culture and beliefs. But it does seem notable that such disparate people would find themselves running afoul of an LGBT orthodoxy that doesn’t tolerate any dissent.
No matter how much people on the left might wish otherwise, these circles can’t be squared. If you’re onboard for “bake me a cake,” then you have to be okay with excluding the Jewish lesbians at the march in Chicago and the silencing of the reporter who dared to tell the world what happened. Because once you subscribe to the morality of “Who? Whom?” there is no limiting principle.
