GoFundMe made headlines last month when an account set up for Memories Pizza raised more than $800,000 in 48 hours. The fine folks at GoFundMe didn’t much care for the publicity, obviously, because they’re not going to let such a terrible thing happen again.
Valerie Richardson, Washington Times:
GoFundMe’s old policy on crowdfunding may not have been enough to justify its decision last weekend to kill campaigns on behalf of a Christian-owned florist and bakery — but its new policy is.
The website quietly expanded its list of banned crowdfunding activities this week shortly after The Washington Times questioned GoFundMe’s reliance on its policy against campaigns in defense of “formal charges of heinous crimes” to pull fundraisers for Arlene’s Flowers and for Sweet Cakes by Melissa.
The new policy, which includes a ban on campaigns in defense of “claims of discriminatory acts,” would appear to make it more difficult to raise money on behalf of businesses facing crippling civil damages awards after refusing to provide services for gay weddings for religious reasons.
Arlene’s Flowers (WA) and Sweet Cakes by Melissa (OR) are both in legal trouble for refusing to participate in gay weddings. They’ve both been fined for their religious beliefs. So GoFundMe is retroactively justifying the decision to discriminate against them. It’s not groveling in front of an angry mob, you guys, honest it isn’t. It’s just policy.
GoFundMe has the right to refuse service to anyone, of course. I just wonder if anyone there can grasp the irony.
If you want to help people who are being put out of business for their religious beliefs, right here in America, check out Samaritan’s Purse. It’s like GoFundMe, but with principles.
Update: The green sunglasses are to hide the symptoms of cognitive dissonance.