Your comparison to being barred from attending graduation is misguided. The idea that it is one day is to point out that for any other day, any other time, the owners of Memories Pizza would serve them without issue. Furthermore, it is quite clear that a couple could find service elsewhere. As people have said before, do you really want someone who hates your ceremony to be forced into providing services for it? Forcing people in these small, edge cases is excessive and will only create a greater rift, slowing the acceptance of gay marriage.

The article asserts that comparisons to Jim Crow are unfair because while we have a long and storied history of discriminating against gays, this is not passed down to generation after generation, creating institutional long lasting disadvantage that is much harder to escape. I do not agree that comparisons are completely unfair, but that detail does make some difference.

I don't agree with the owners' choice to discriminate, but forcing them to serve a particular ceremony that they strongly oppose is unnecessary. Forcing them will not confer a significant benefit for members of our society who are gay. But it does create resentment and resistance against the gay rights movement, so it has a significant downside. All of this is assuming that we continue to fight versions of the RFRA that allow for unconditional discrimination based on religion. Establishments should not be able to turn people down for normal service just because they're gay.

And just to make sure it's clear, all I'm saying is that the reaction and backlash to Memories Pizza stating that they wouldn't cater to a gay wedding, which is a hypothetical situation that wouldn't happen to them anyway, did not warrant the viral backlash that they got. It warrants criticism and disagreement but it did not warrant spiteful attacks against the establishment. Progressives should and will continue to push for gay equality in all matters of our society, but let's not have a little sympathy for those who oppose us - not because they deserve sympathy, (I have little of it for those who discriminate like this), but rather because if we overstep, we will be seen as bullies and create more resistance rather than support. We always say the right should call out their crazies but we have to call out ours too.