LGBTQ and Religious Identity Conflict in Service Settings
Elizabeth A. Minton, Frank Cabano, Meryl Gardner, Daniele Mathras, Esi Elliot and Naomi Mandel
When thinking of the USA, words such as freedom and liberty tend to enter many minds in a land where discrimination does not exist. Unfortunately this is not true. This picture many of us tend to paint has been destroyed numerous times when we look at the history of the U.S. Many others hope to escape oppression when they make their way to this ‘land of freedom’ and are dumbfounded when they realize that this dream they had was merely a fantasy. Throughout the years, the US as a country has oppressed minorities of the country, including the LGBTQ community. The authors Elizabeth A. Minton, Frank Cabano, Meryl Gardner, Daniele Mathras, Esi Elliot and Naomi Mandel express the falsehood of freedom in the US in "LGBTQ and Religious Identity Conflict in Service Settings."
Individuals who identify as LGBTQ in the US have recently experienced an increase of discrimination in religious services. These religious services include bakeries and florists who refuse to provide services for LGBTQ weddings since same-sex marriage goes against their religious beliefs and practices. This issue is controversial in the sense that by forcing those who refuse to provide services, we take away their “personal right, political liberties and government involvement” (Minton, Cabano, Gardner, Mathras, Elliot & Mandel, pg 353). However, while allowing them to continue discrimination is ethically wrong and unconstitutional (Minton, Cabano, Gardner, Mathras, Elliot & Mandel, pg 353).
Companies who tend to be Catholic “making up 70 % of the US population” (Minton et. al, pg 353), are currently known for creating different policies that demonstrate their discriminatory attitudes against the LGBTQ community. It is apparent that many Christians are against the LGBTQ community and tend to refuse to provide services to them based on what they perceive as morally wrong; other Christians fully support their LGBTQ brothers and sisters. This outlook of support from certain Christians is based on the teaching of “not judging others” (Minto et al., pg 354) which is what they follow based on what Pope Francis has recently said about becoming more accepting of the gay community. Though we are now seeing a steady rise of accepting LGBTQ communities in religious settings, others continue to refuse.
Many marketplaces feel that being forced to provide services to LGBTQ groups is a violation of their religious freedom. As Elizabeth A. Minton, Frank Cabano, Meryl Gardner, Daniele Mathras, Esi Elliot and Naomi Mande suggest, both parties in this case have to be willing to re-categorize themselves and become more inclusive members in order to get rid of the “us” vs “them” (Minton et al., 2014). However, by refusing LGBTQ to provide certain services to LGBTQ communities, especially to married couples, we are taking away their freedom and rights as consumers.
Minton, E., Cabano, F., Gardner, M., Mathras, D., Elliot, E, & Mandel, N., (2017). LGBTQ and religious identity conflict in service settings. Journal of Services Marketing,31(4/5), 351-361.