A Maryland disc jockey has refused to
work a gay man's birthday party, citing a conflict with his religious
beliefs.
According to The
Washington Post, when Dani Tsakounis attempted to hire
Ultrasound Deejays to work an upcoming birthday party for her
brother's 60-year-old roommate and former boyfriend, she was told
that that would go against the owners' faith.
“I just said, 'We won't be able to do
it, we're a Christian organization and it wold go against our faith.
I'm sorry,” co-owner Michael Lampiris said.
Ultrasound Deejays' company policy
states that “we will not be involved in any event involving
homosexual celebration or activity. We follow biblical morality.”
Tom Tsakounis and his husband live with
Tsakounis' former partner.
Tsakounis told the Post that
he's filed a complaint with the Montgomery County Human Rights
Commission.
Lampiris, who started the firm in the
1980s with his brother, said that he was unaware of Maryland's 2001
law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in public
accommodation.
“We don't want to go against the
law,” he said, “but we also sometimes are called to do that if it
goes against your faith. To me it would be like a synagogue having
to cater to a neo-Nazi party or black DJ having to do a KKK dance.”
“We ought to obey God rather than
men,” he added, citing the New Testament book of Acts.