Russ, as I said above, we all have a right to live by our convictions - thank G-d (and the recent decision of the Supreme Court) for that. I can see myself declining a gig, too, if it was going so strongly against my grain that I wouldn't be able to put forth the effort and the artistry (such as it is) that the audience deserves. However, I would see it as my personal shortcoming as a performer, and not something I'd boast about (not saying that anyone here is).

Now, people that know me (and are generally my target customers), know my strong political and religious views. If they choose to offer me a job, I generally see it as a sign of respect for my musical/performing skills, because when it comes to politics, the only person I agree with 100% is myself. However, unlike many of the folks who have contributed in this thread, I've really lived through the redistribution of wealth, shaming of the successful, single-payer medicine, "free" government-paid education. It was a sad and scary time when the media would only publish the news they deemed fit to print, creating a giant "echo-chamber" in collusion with the government, and you had to conform and be politically correct, or be shunned or persecuted, and when the "enlightened elites" would hijack the language to call those who disagree with them "haters", supporters of individual freedom freedom "fascists", and terrorists "freedom fighters", and who would pay the mobs to turn out on the streets to justify the absurd. It pains me greatly to see that at this day in our own country a major political party is adopting these same policies as part of their party platform, and the street-mob tactics as their modus operandi. It is concerning that nearly half of the people in the US are forgetting that they/we can do that only because of the US Constitution and the system of laws that guarantee this ability to them, and so they cheer to "fundamentally transform America". When you have a good thing (and we still do - I speak from experience) you don't try to fundamentally transform it.

But, as I said, mine is one voice, and I save it for the ballot box, or for civilized discussions like this one. When I am with a microphone on stage, I know it's so that people can hear my music.