LAT: Houston landscapers: We don't take gay customers

[DeepModem Mom]

Landscapers: We don't take gay customers
A Houston company's rejection of a client shocks some in the city, where homosexuals have made strides.
By Lianne Hart, Times Staff Writer
November 6, 2006

HOUSTON — The co-owner of a landscaping company here called Garden Guy turned down a job last month by sending an e-mail to a man who had requested an estimate for work on his yard:

"I am appreciative of your time on the phone today and glad you contacted us," Sabrina Farber wrote. "I need to tell you that we cannot meet with you because we choose not to work with homosexuals. Best of luck in finding someone else to fill your landscaping needs. All the best."

Floored, the recipient of the e-mail, Michael Lord, and his partner forwarded the message to dozens of friends. Within days the e-mail had spread across the Internet in blogs, websites and gardening forums from Seattle to Washington, D.C.

Farber and her husband, Todd, who've owned the landscaping company since 1991, were bombarded with profane phone calls and e-mails. Their online forum flooded with outraged posts....

The Farbers, declining interviews, released a statement saying they "do not hate homosexuals" and "did not refuse service with malicious intent…. We meant to uphold our right as small business owners to choose who our clients are. We are humbly sorry for the hurt that it has caused."...

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-gardenguy6nov06,0,1780263.story?track=mostemailedlink

[texasleo]

1. we landed on the moon

[DeepModem Mom]

2. The article goes on to point out that this is unusual for Houston. nt

[texasleo]

9. I know.

:grouphug:

just pointing out that we talked about this a couple of weeks ago here.


:hi:

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Oh, sorry -- I missed that! nt

[Nite Owl]

3. No malicious intent?

I hope they go bankrupt. Narrow minded, ignorant people don't deserve the business.

[JohnnyLib2]

4. Check for disciples of Rev. Ted or

others like him. I smell fundie-think.

[Botany]

5. I am a landscaper

What an idiot ... gays & lesbians spend a ton on their gardens.

Forget the fact that he is a homophobic knuckle dragger but a businessman he sucks.

[DUHandle]

17. No fucking shit

the gardens of gay men are remarkable.

[David Zephyr]

6. I wonder if the landscaper's wife knows he' gay and using meth?

Someone needs to let her in on the truth about her gardening husband.

[kestrel91316]

7. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Farber:

Don't be surprised if you find businesses in your community unwilling to serve YOU. Don't dish it out if you can't take it.

kestrel



Tempts me to deny service to known fundies...........REALLY tempts me.

[Lex]

8. You make a decision like that, you suffer the consequences.

The guy is a bigot. At least that fact is out in the open now.

[DUHandle]

10. Area businesses that have up campaign signs for the GOP

will not be getting my business.


Good for Mr. Lord!

[spag68]

12. Landscapers in Houston?

I wonder if they use undocumented immigrants, just thinking.....

[karlrschneider]

13. They're obviously insane fundy shitbags but how did they know the

client was gay?
:eyes:

[DemoTex]

21. Montrose address.

See my post, Karl. An earlier story on these people was originally posted here a month or so ago. This article is a new angle on these asshole's response to their well publicized hate.

Mac

[karlrschneider]

23. Hi Mac I recall it was discussed a few weeks ago and totally forgot

you had lived in Houston. Saw your other post, thanks.
KS

[KAZ]

14. I believe this is their email addy.

[e-mail]

[DemoTex]

15. This was posted a month or so ago .. I e-mailed the Farbers.

I once lived in Montrose, a great (and relatively well-to-do) close-in Houston neighborhood that has a substantial number of gay citizens residing there. In fact, I lived ON Montrose Boulevard. We still keep up with our great friends from those young-years (I was a corporate pilot for a pre-Enron Ken Lay), many of whom are gay. I pointed out to the Farbers what economic advantages existed to doing gay guys' small lawns at high prices over doing red-necks' McMansions and wondering when their checkbook might "'git 'er done".

I never heard back from the Farbers after my extremely civil e-mail. Glad to see this story back in the news.

Mac

[DeepModem Mom]

16. I missed it the first time, Demo Tex. And this is a new article from LAT.

Thanks for trying to reach the Farbers!

[AspenRose]

24. When I lived in Houston

I used to drive around Montrose and The Heights with envy, hoping I could live in either of those places someday.

I ended up in the red, RED Woodlands (Montgomery County). Nice pine trees, but ick....Freeperville. *shudder*

Give me the diversity of Montrose anyday.

[Jack_Dawson]

18. Who's going to hire them?

Heterosexual Houstonians? :shrug:

[EdwardM]

19. This guy calls himself "garden guy" and owns a landscaping company yet hates gays?

Is this the Reverend Haggard in disguise?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

20. "... when police arrested women for wearing pants with zipper in front"

"Houston has come a long way since the 1970s,
when police arrested women for wearing pants
with zipper in front."

So, where were they wearing the zipper, certainly not
IN THE BACK?!?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

22. Probably over their mouths, like the "good old boys" wanted.