Married Lesbian Couple Denied Tax-Filing Service by Christian Owner

A lesbian couple in Indiana has to find a new accountant to file their taxes after being turned away for being in a same-sex marriage.

Bailey Brazzel had been filing her taxes through Carter Tax Service in Russiaville, Indiana for years. But after her marriage to Samantha last summer, the owner, Nancy Fivecoate, refused to file a joint tax return for the couple.

“I am a Christian and I believe marriage is between one man and one woman,” Fivecoate said in a statement. She claims she referred them to a different service.

Bailey and Samantha thought the whole thing was a joke at first.

“But when she started talking about the Bible, we knew she was serious,” said Bailey, “and I was completely shocked.”

Unfortunately, thanks to former Governor of Indiana Mike Pence, discrimination is legal in Indiana unless an area has specifically passed measures against it. And in Russiaville, there’s no such ordinance.

As the Brazzels had no legal recourse against the way they were treated, they took to social media and local news to share their story.

But Fivecoate insists her refusal to file joint taxes for same-sex married couples isn’t discrimination. After all, she’s happy to file for openly gay single people.

She’s also now claiming the backlash for her behavior is actually discrimination against her.

“The LGBT want respect for their beliefs, which I give them,” she said, not fully grasping what respect is. “I did not say anything about their lifestyle. That’s their choice. It is not my choice. Where is their respect for my beliefs?”

Where’s your respect for federal law, Nancy? It’s perfectly legal for same-sex couples to get married, and for them to file joint tax returns. Maybe, just maybe, that should be enough to encourage an accountant to do their job. After all, it’s not like they’re asking for cake.

Bailey agrees. “My taxes don’t have anything to do with our marriage. If you are going to run a business, you should be professional enough to do business with people from all types of backgrounds.”

Fivecoate has yet to share where exactly in the Bible it says Christians are forbidden from signing their name to a gay tax return.