The first indication of this ominous trend has come unexpectedly from Novus Services Account Manager Raina Romine, who has informed Badpuppy Enterprises in a June 27 letter that Novus Service's Discover Card will no longer finance its cardholder's access to the Badpuppy site. Badpuppy's management believe they have detected in Novus' behavior a strong undercurrent of anti-gay, anti-adult site prejudice.

Beginning July 27, according to the Novus letter, no new subscriptions to Badpuppy will be countenanced by Discover Card. Those Discover Card patrons who wish to establish a connection with the Badpuppy site will need to do so through other credit card companies.

This sudden censorious development originating at Novus corporate headquarters ( Novus is the owner of Discover Card) will likely send shockwaves through adult subscription sites worldwide. It is the opinion of Badpuppy Enterprises that Novus through its Discover Card aims, in fact, to withdraw Discover Card support from adult sites everywhere.

Attorneys are currently researching possible violations of federal and state laws that regulate discrimination by creditors. This censorious behavior by Discover Card might be likened to a credit company that refuses to extend credit to citizens who hope to make other types of purchases, including even Christians who might wish to buy candles at Christian bookstores, discriminated against by a hypothetical creditor because of their religion; or the denial of the extension of credit on the basis of race to subscribers of Jet or Ebony, simply because of the skin-colors with which these publications are associated.

Eleven states currently forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, including housing, employment, public access AND credit. Research into the ramifications of inter-state denials seem appropriate, say some critics of the new Novus policy.

"Next thing you know," complained a GayToday reader, "Discover Card will be telling us we can't charge our trips to Disney because it doesn't match the Novus corporation's idea of a proper Southern Baptist locale. Who does Discover Card think it is, anyway? My mama? Anyway, my Discover Card has been demanding just about the highest finance charges of any of the rest of my cards, and that's why I'll never use it again. Who needs 'em? "