The “tolerant” same-sex marriage left has struck again – this time, at the popular hangout The Grove, in Los Angeles. The owner of The Grove, Rick Caruso, tweeted that iconic boxing great and Philippines Congressman Manny Pacquiao would not be allowed “on the premises” thanks to Pacquiao’s outspoken opposition to same-sex marriage. “Boxer Manny Pacquiao is not welcome @TheGroveLA,” he tweeted. “@TheGroveLA is a gathering place for all Angelenos, not a place for intolerance.” Pacquiao was supposed to do an interview today with “Extra” at The Grove.
What did heretofore-Obama-supporter Pacquiao do to earn the ban? He did an interview with the National Conservative Examiner in which he said, “God’s words first … obey God’s law first before considering the laws of man. God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married. It should not be of the same sex, so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.” In other words, like the vast majority of religious people of all persuasions around the world, Pacquiao is against same-sex marriage.
That now earns him a ban from a public area in Los Angeles. And make no mistake – while Caruso is the owner of the complex, he relies heavily on public funding in his projects.
The left wants to claim intolerance here, but it is surely the highest form of intolerance not to allow a religious person who openly expresses him or herself onto the premises of an outdoor shopping mall. In fact, The Grove features a kosher hot dog stand frequented by Orthodox Jews, virtually all of whom oppose same-sex marriage. Will Caruso ban them? Are all of those who believe in traditional scriptural interpretation, and who oppose same-sex marriage, no longer welcome at Caruso’s myriad establishments?
Caruso is an emissary of the leftist thought police who say that you don’t deserve the privileges of decent treatment if you “haven’t evolved.” Pacquiao has done nothing to harm or mistreat gays or lesbians; he actually says he has a gay relative, and that gays and lesbians can’t do anything about their orientation because they were born that way. But that’s not enough – he has to bow to the politically correct same-sex marriage crowd or be barred from the premises.
There is a question as to whether Caruso legally can bar Pacquiao from the premises based on statements Pacquiao has made outside The Grove. In fact, even were Pacquiao to “reasonably exercise” his right to free speech at The Grove, it is likely that the California Supreme Court would uphold his right to do so without being kicked off the premises.
Caruso is in the wrong both morally and legally here. But don’t expect the leftist press to call him out on it. When it comes to bullying, the true bullies are the leftists who maintain that in order to be treated as a normal human being, you must agree with them. And even the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet can’t avoid their heavy fist.
Ben Shapiro is Editor-At-Large of Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @benshapiro.
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