A matter of choice

Discrimination is in the news again as a result of proposals to make it illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of their homosexuality. By the way, it's a common mistake to think that "homo" here is from the Latin, meaning "man", whereas it is in fact from the Greek meaning "same", so a homosexual is someone attracted to their own sex - male or female. I have to say that my basic instinct has always been to oppose all anti-discriminatory legislation. If I am a supplier of goods or services, then I consider I should have the right to decide to whom I will supply them. If I take an idiotic dislike to left-handed men with red hair, or anyone whose surname begins with the letter Y, or whatever, then, however stupid that may be, I should have the right to deny them my goods or services - after all, choice is a concept beloved of all political parties, and discrimination is simply a posh word for choice. However, I have to accept that this is no longer a sustainable position to take, but does this latest proposal go too far? I think a distinction can and should be made between discrimination on the basis of what people are, and discrimination on the basis of what people do, of how they act, and whereas I accept, albeit with some reluctance, that the former should be illegal, I'm not so sure about the latter. On this basis, although it would be illegal to discriminate against anyone on the basis of their homosexuality (that's what they are), it would not be illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis that whatever goods or services you supply may be used to engage in homosexual activity.