Nothing like wishing death upon someone and their kids and then calling them a “hateful demon.”
GILBERT, Ariz. — A Gilbert, Ariz. business owner who publicly expressed her support for SB 1062, a religious freedom bill the state legislature passed last week, has received numerous hate e-mails, including one that wishes her and her children dead. It is the latest report of intolerant actions being taken by those who oppose the bill because they claim it and its supporters are “intolerant.”
The e-mail, obtained by Alliance Defending Freedom, reads, “DIE YOU ****. AND I HOPE YOUR CHILDREN DIE TOO. YOU HATEFUL **** DEMON.” The Gilbert business owner received the e-mail and others after expressing her support for SB 1062 in several media interviews.
“If you’re wondering where the supporters of SB 1062 are, they’re home protecting their children from death threats,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Doug Napier. “Sadly, this is not the first time we’ve seen opponents of religious freedom not only spread falsehoods but engage in the very intolerance they say they oppose.”
In addition to threats issued to the Gilbert business owner and others Alliance Defending Freedom are aware of, a Tucson restaurant has posted a sign saying that it reserves the right not to serve Arizona legislators, and a California restaurant and bar that caters to those who identify as homosexual is refusing to serve anyone who supports SB 1062 or similar legislation. Previously, the restaurant also banned bachelorettes parties as an “offensive heterosexual tradition” because of their relationship to marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
“We actually support their right to define their businesses the way they wish,” Napier explained. “No business owner of faith that I am aware of wants to deny anyone a sandwich. All religious business owners want is make sure the government can’t force them to promote a message or engage in an activity that conflicts with their beliefs. That’s all SB 1062 is about, despite the misleading information people may have heard.”