Houston Landscaper Refuses To Work For Gay Customers

POSTED: 5:35 pm CDT October 20, 2006

UPDATED: 6:00 pm CDT October 20, 2006

HOUSTON -- An e-mail from a Houston-area landscaper that said he chose not to do work for homosexuals has spread nationwide, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.

Michael Lord wanted to spruce up the outside of his home in the Heights, so he asked the "Garden Guy" to create an outdoor work of art.

But he was rejected based on his sexual orientation.

An e-mail from Sabrina Farber, with the Garden Guy Inc., said she could not meet with Lord because the company chooses not to work for homosexuals.

The Garden Guy Inc.'s Web site is upfront about the family's beliefs. It said that marriage is under attack and included a link to nogaymarriage.com.

The e-mail and Web site have stirred up controversy.

The couple was not available for an interview but issued the following apology.

"We meant to uphold our right as a small-business owner to choose who our clients are. We are humbly sorry for the hurt that it has caused," Farber said.

The company's Web site also states that it is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. But it is not, according to the organization's president.

"APLD does not support discriminating against clients based on sexual orientation. APLD will take steps to see that the former member ceases any representation that he or she continues to be a member of APLD," the president said in a statement.

Some are defending the couple's decision. The American Family Association issued the following statement.

"Todd, like millions of Americans, obviously has a moral conviction based on his religious beliefs against homosexual behavior and that lifestyle. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that."

Others believe the e-mail is discriminatory, although legal analysts said the couple's decision to not work with homosexuals was not illegal.

The Garden Guy Inc. has been operating in Houston since 1991. Company officials said they do not refuse service with malicious intent, and they said they do not hate homosexuals.

Opponents are calling for a boycott.