Courtney Hoffman via Facebook

Remember that pizzeria in Indiana that was targeted by hateful people just because they wanted to do business according to their beliefs? The pizzeria said they would not cater a gay wedding because it would violate their convictions. Of course the media exploited their comments and liberals and LGBT people lost their minds.

Then a GoFundMe page was started and people across the country began raising money to support the business because it had to close its doors temporarily due to death threats (that’s some “tolerance” for ya!).

The donations all seemed relatively normal.

Until Courtney Hoffman donated.

Courtney Hoffman is a gay woman. She not only donated to help the pizzeria she expressed her sadness over how the media and LGBT people reacted to the pizzeria owners’ desire to live according to their beliefs. She wrote:

“As a member of the gay community, I would like to apologize for the mean spirited attacks on you and your business. I know many gay individuals who fully support your right to stand up for your beliefs and run your business according to those beliefs. We are outraged at the level of hate and intolerance that has been directed at you and I sincerely hope that you are able to rebuild.”

That’s a genuinely concerned sentiment from a woman that disagrees with the views of the person she is donating money to. In other words, Ms. Hoffman has properly and perfectly displayed both compassion and tolerance.

Some would like to dismiss this as an isolated view and ay that most LGBT people would disagree. But Ms. Hoffman isn’t backing down from her position and, in fact, says that most of the LGBT people she knows agrees with her position.

In an interview after her now viral donation, Ms. Hoffman said:

“The gay community that we know knows full well what it’s like to be condemned for doing nothing but living your life according to your beliefs. We know so many gay individuals that fully support the freedom of living your life according to your beliefs and feel that freedom extends to everyone, even the people that we don’t agree with.”

What!?

Gay people that believe people should be allowed to live and do business according to their beliefs? Surely there’s not gay people that adhere to such an arcane and “anti” point of view? That’s what the media has convinced us of. That anyone that refuses to business with another person, even in order to live according to their convictions, is a bigot guilty of discrimination. And yet Ms. Hoffman is on record saying she supports this position and would do the same thing.

When asked why she made this donation and took this stand, Ms. Hoffman said:

“My girlfriend and I are small business owners, and we think there is a difference between operating in a public market space and then attaching the name of your business to a private event. Like, if we were asked to set up at an anti-gay marriage rally, I mean, we would have to decline.”

Now you can see why Ms. Hoffman is properly displaying tolerance. She is respecting the right of others to live in accordance with her convictions because she desires to do the same. She wants the Christians business owner to be allowed to refuse to render services at a gay wedding because she wants the right to refuse to render services at an anti-gay rally. That is, by definition, both freedom and tolerance.

It seems Ms. Hoffman accurately understands the nature of freedom. Freedom requires give and take. Just because you disagree with my view doesn’t mean I’m wrong or a bigot. And it certainly doesn’t mean I have to cater your wedding or render services for your rally. The ability to respect the views of others without forcing them to agree or comply is the essence of tolerance and the foundation of freedom.

Let’s put this in perspective. If a Christian can be forced under government penalty to cater a gay wedding then a gay person can be forced to cater an anti-gay rally. And a black bakery can be forced to cater a KKK rally. And a Jewish baker can be forced to cater a Nazi event. Where does it end? This battle is not about Christian vs. gay. This is about the fundamental, God-given right to live and do business according to your convictions. If that freedom doesn’t exist for one group, it will cease for all groups.

So if Ms. Hoffman is accurately describing the sentiment among LGBT peoples regarding the situation in Indiana with the pizzeria, then who is driving the narrative that gay people demand everyone serve them…or else?

I can’t help but think this is less about views and tolerance and more about political agendas and power. I’ve said it before and I’m sticking with it, I think the gay community is an unsuspecting hostage in the efforts to erode many of our country’s foundational freedoms and values. We are being told this is about tolerance when really it is about government regulation and overreach. There will come a time when people, all people, will be forced to violate their convictions if something doesn’t change.

I for one am proud of the way Ms. Hoffman handled herself. She has shown me that LGBT people do believe in real tolerance and desire to see people free to live according to their beliefs. It’s an encouraging sign.