Thank God, you guys. Thank God. For a minute, I was worried that Kansas, of all places, was going to eclipse Arizona in vying for the coveted “most bigoted state in the Union” award. I mean, we’ve got a reputation, you know? We’ve got Sheriff Joe and tent cities and pink underwear. Remember SB 1070? That was us! We can’t let some glorified cornfield best us in trying to single out people that don’t fit a narrow definition of what constitutes a “proper person.”
(Straight and white and preferably male, if you were wondering what defines a “proper person” in these states, but we’re willing to slide on the third one… sometimes. Depends on a lot of mitigating factors.)
Fortunately, our state government is taking steps to make sure that Kansas doesn’t surge ahead in the discriminatory law race. We’ve got our own version of the “refuse service to gays for, like, religion and stuff” law in the works.
Thank God. I mean, can you imagine having to do business with somebody who you disagreed with? What if somebody came into YOUR business and asked you to engage in commerce even though they were clearly living their lives in a way that that was offensive to your sensibilities and maybe even morally bankrupt according to your deeply held beliefs? Can you imagine the horror? It’s unthinkable!
After all, it’s not like customer service is about dealing with people and helping them even when you don’t like them or agree with them on things and even though they bother you a lot and-
Oh wait.
Shit.
Guys. You guys. I forgot something really important. I feel so stupid. It’s this rule I learned somewhere about business and capitalism and how to make money and all that jazz. It’s like, Rule number one of business, or something.
As business owner/service provider/whatever, I want your money and I will do whatever I can to get your money as long as those ways are in accordance with the law because that’s how I stay in business.
Even more astoundingly, it turns out gay money spends just as well as straight money! In fact, interest rates and inflation rates and all the other rates are exactly the same! I HAD NO IDEA. I don’t even think banks or the IRS can tell the difference between gay money and straight money.
I think I might have to rethink my entire position on this issue.
Cynical Idealism 
But wouldn’t it be good for businesses to be able to refuse to give service to gay people, like in a Darwinian sense? That way the bigoted businesses would rub out of money and we’d be left with only the business owners who aren’t complete dipshits. I think we should just let nature run its course.
You make a good suggestion but I wonder if the bigoted business population might be too robust to be easily winnowed out of the economic gene pool, sort of like how O+ blood has managed to stick around even though it’s recessive. (I’m O+, for what it’s worth. Marvel at my recessive blood!).
On the other hand, I certainly appreciate being able to easily figure out which businesses aren’t worth my future patronage. I just wish it was a lesson that wasn’t being paid for via the discrimination of my gay friends, co-workers, and fellow citizens.