I’m listening to a radio show, Michael Smerconish on POTUS (politics of the U.S.) where they are discussing the Supreme Court case of Lori Smith, a graphic designer who wants to refuse services that go against her religious beliefs.
I’m curious about how people currently handle clients who they may have differences with.
Depends on the morality. I am a staunch atheist, but I have done both paid and pro bono work for churches. I would never work for a tobacco company.
You just have to draw your own moral line in the sand and never cross it.
I’m not a lawyer or an expert on law.
At a gut level it seems pretty ridiculous.
But, the other day I was thinking about it and to some degree I realized that designers, printers, etc. already decline jobs that they have some sort of moral objection to. Now, I realize this is an extreme, but designers and printers, I would assume, currently would object to printing or designing signs for neo nazis or would decline designing or printing pornography or some other “extreme”.
Now, I will admit the examples I provided are VASTLY different than the situation SCOTUS is ruling on. Once again, I’m no lawyer. I also realize that those extremes aren’t a protected class as this article mentions which oddly enough points out that currently at a federal level does not include LGBTQ+ which surprised me.
I am intrigued also by the route they are arguing, which I’m too lazy to look up, ha, but I vaguely remember that they are arguing that it goes against her freedom of speech because she is being compelled to “say something” she doesn’t agree to. (I vaguely remember something about coercion, or forced speech.) I don’t remember.
I also have heard others point out the typical “slippery slope” argument, which is a common argument to anything (the notion that by banning or allowing “X” all of a sudden will result it “A, B, C, D and E”), which people have argued would allow anyone to essentially use the same argument to not serve Muslims or African Americans but those situations ARE currently covered under the protected class article above.
I’m certainly curious how it will all pan out.
Off topic a little here:
If you are religiously atheistic, what does that make you?
A number of years ago — this was before cancel culture, the rise of victimhood, and the professionally offended — I was asked to design a project that I had an objection to and politely turned down the work. You know what happened? The would-be client said “thanks for your time,” moved on, and found someone else to do the work. No hurt feelings, no threats of his rights being violated, no threats of law suits. I’m not sure what would happen if that same would-be client would call in 2022.
The slippery slope is huge. One caller brought up how a tattoo artist they know refuses to do gang symbols or nazi swatiskas. As a person who is now working as an artist and sell in a gallery that we own, I’m free to paint what I want and sell those paintings. And I certainly wouldn’t want to be forced to paint something against my morals if I advertise that I paint commissions. It’s a messy one that’s for sure.
Mostly, if they pay ok then I’ll do work for any old fool. I have done work for bigots, misogynists and people who smell bad. I would probably draw the line at actual nazis.
Years ago I had a small piece of software at no.7 in downloads on the Apple website and I was contacted by a betting company to put their logo on it. It was potentially a lot of money. I told them to shove it.
Over the years, I’ve turned down work for anti-vaxers, white supremacists, a university whose policies I couldn’t abide by, a multi-level marketer selling bogus medical treatments, politicians who I’d never vote for, and probably a few others I can’t think of at the moment. I can probably think of a dozen other categories of things I’d turn down.
Moral values might have played a role in some of my reasons for turning down some of these jobs, but it’s more a matter of me not wanting to help people accomplish things that I strongly disagree with. I have, however, taken on jobs where my objections are less strong.
Just refuse the word - don’t have to give a reason.
No one has sued her. No one is forcing her to make anything. This is part of an ongoing effort by conservatives to dismantle civil rights.
She has actually sued the state of Colorado.
And the Supreme Court is only looking at one issue of this case. And this is how it’s phrased in all the news articles I’ve seen on this so far,
It said it would decide whether a law that requires an artist to speak or stay silent violates the free speech clause of the First Amendment.
Part of the problem here is the word “artist,” IMO. If you want to create Art, you can make any statement you want. But if you want to create Commercial Art that becomes a business defined under the laws of the state (and yes, I think commissions falls under commercial art.) You can refuse to do lewd or provocative or potentially harmful work, but you can’t refuse based on not liking the look of the citizen standing before you.
Why can’t two people with two different views of religion work with one another?
Cuz that’s basically what this is…
Exactly. I’ve turned away work because it didn’t agree with my morals, but I just declined the job. No reason other than it’s wasn’t a good fit. FYI, I’ve turned jobs away for other “not a good fit” reasons as well, i.e. they don’t want to pay my rates, they want a rush job I can’t provide, their industry is one I don’t know enough about, etc. Don’t be all pious, better-than-thou with your morals and you won’t offend anyone. The best way to win someone’s heart is through kindness——which, by the way, is how Jesus was.
“Oh, just got a big order the other day, we are snowed for the next 2 weeks!”
“That’s ok, we can wait.” 
Ha ha good one. Nobody can wait these days.
I’m always amazed at how there is never any time to do it right, but plenty of time to do it over.