Flower Shop Receives Protests After Refusing Service to Same-Sex Couple

by Brandon Miller · 2011-03-22 07:20:00 UTC
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One of the perks of being a Canadian citizen is that I, as a big 'ole homo, can get married to the man of my dreams (if he exists, that is). Same-sex marriage has been the law for years, with Canada among the first few countries to recognize marriage equality for same-sex couples.

Sadly, some still refuse to accept this as reality.

Last week, we wrote about a New Brunswick florist who refused to provide flowers for a gay wedding. Anti-discrimination laws clearly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, so you would think that a person who owns a flower store specifically for weddings would have thought things through. Canadian law allows for same-sex marriage and your province says you cannot discriminate on these grounds. You'd think she would be prepared for all sorts of lovebirds. Old ones, young ones, fat ones, skinny ones. I sound like a Doctor Seuss book, but it's true.

Thankfully, the community is stepping up and showing that they do not approve of this discrimination. Sixty protesters held a rally in Riverview, New Brunswick this past Saturday, to show their dismay with Petals and Promises Wedding Flowers. Specifically, people were protesting against owner Kim Evans and her decision to refuse to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding (despite initially agreeing to do so).

"My stand on it is that everyone has rights, but they stop when they start to impede the rights of someone else. I think just showing a little kindness from both sides is what we need right now," said Meredith Martell, one of the protesters.

Demonstrators laid flowers on the lawn of Evans' home, where her store is also located. Some of them waved rainbow flags in support of the LGBT community. It wasn't necessarily about vilifying Evans, but rather to show that the community as a whole recognizes that there's no place for discrimination when it comes to business.

If you have not yet done so, sign the Change.org petition to call for this situation to be investigated by the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.

Photo Credit: Maureen Lunn

Brandon Miller is a freelance writer and editor from Toronto, Ontario.

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