Florist on Refusing Gay Weddings: ‘I Serve a God that’s Higher than Any’ Judge

TUCHMAN (voice-over): “Head out to rural Jeff Davis County, Georgia, and you don't have to look hard to find supporters of the state's proposed religious Freedom Restoration Act, and they aren't afraid to say why."

TUCHMAN (on camera): "If you had gay customers to come in here to buy flowers and they said we want you to come to our commitment ceremony, bring the flowers -- marriage is not allowed in this state yet -- would you do it?”

WILLIAMS: “No, I couldn't.”

TUCHMAN (voice-over): “Jennifer Williams is an associate at this flower shop, an observant southern Baptist who says she regards the Bible as the rule book for her life. She doesn't believe refusing service to a gay couple is discrimination."

TUCHMAN (on camera): "You talk about the Bible and how important it is. The Bible talks an awful a lot about love and loving your fellow man.”

WILLIAMS: “Right and it doesn't mean that I love them any less. I pray for them, I hope that --"

TUCHMAN: “But if you don't serve them, it's not like you are --"

WILLIAMS: “It's not that I hate them. I don't hate them, but –“

TUCHMAN: “But you don’t love them if you don't want to serve them, right?”

WILLIAMS: “Well, you can still love someone even though you don't serve them."

TUCHMAN (voice-over): “In another flower shop just down the street, the exact same opinions from the florist and her son, who is studying to be a southern Baptist pastor.”

JEFFCOAT: “I would respectfully tell them that I’m sorry I just don't want to do it because of my beliefs.”

TUCHMAN: “Right now, while Georgia is considering a law to make that legal for you to do that, it is not, and you can get in trouble.”

M. JEFFCOAT: “I understand that.”

TUCHMAN: “So you would be willing to take that risk?"

M. JEFFCOAT: “Yes. He died on the cross for me, so that's the least I can do for him."

C. JEFFCOAT: “I serve a God who is higher than any Supreme Court judge, who is called judge of the universe and I don't care what anybody else says.”

TUCHMAN: “So no matter what, whether it's a law or not, you would not bring your flowers to a gay commitment ceremony?"

C. JEFFCOAT: “No.”

TUCHMAN (voice-over): “There are five florists we found in this area. The employees of three of them do not want to appear on camera, but they all told us the same thing, that they want this law to pass in Georgia. That they want the right to turn away business from gay people. Their sentiments are of course very offensive to many. A demonstration taking place at the Georgia capital this week.”

GRAHAM: “We now see that this bill is clearly a vehicle to be used to discriminate against the gay and transgender community.”

TUCHMAN (voice-over): “Although the flower shop employees we spoke to don't like to use the word discriminate, they do indeed see the bill as a vehicle to legally deny service to gay people.

TUCHMAN (on-camera): “The Ten Commandments says you can't commit adultery; that you need to honour your father and mother. If someone didn't honour their parents or commit adultery, would you serve them?”

M. JEFFCOAT: “Yes.”

TUCHMAN: “Why serve them but not someone who is gay?”

M. JEFFCOAT: “It’s just a different kind of sin to me, and I just don't believe in it.”