I'm not Christian and I still don't buy anything from the Dixie Chicks. The point was the response is not stifling free speech but it is no different than others who do basically the same thing that was done to the Dixie Chicks to people like voice their opinion on same sex marriage or homosexuality.
It doesn't matter who may have been against something in the past. People change their minds. In 1970, 70% of the US population still believed that interracial relationships were wrong and should be illegal still. By 1985, that had come pretty close to half the population thinking differently. This wasn't all due to young people growing up. It was due to people changing their minds. Just like this guy:
Republican senator with gay son now backs gay marriage | Reuters
This is what happens when people you know and love are gay and you realize that they aren't different from you and they just want to be treated equally.
Anyone has a right to speak out against or for anything they want, but that does not absolve them of social consequences of what they say or do (even when it's legal), as we seen with the Dixie Chicks, Paula Dean, Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, and others. We have seen it on both sides, so it is not right to pretend it has only happened to "Christians" or those who are against same sex marriage or homosexuality. Carrie Underwood faced backlash from supporting it.
Celebrities Who Were Caught Being Racist | List of Offensive Celeb Comments (Page 6)
Carrie Underwood Faced Backlash for Supporting Gay Marriage - Us Weekly
Eventhough, a lot of famous female (at least) country singers support it, including Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and Martina McBride. Even many male country singers and bands support it. And this is a group whose main fans are going to be the most likely people to be anti-ssm. When JC Penny's ran an ad a few father's days back featuring two gay fathers, people were calling for a boycott.
JCPenney Responds to Homophobic Boycott Calls with Gay Father's Day Ad
The same thing happened to Nabisco when they ran ads with rainbow colored Oreos in support of same sex marriage. Honey Maid faced a call for a boycott just in the past year over its commercial featuring (omg) a gay couple with a kid.
Nabisco's Gay-Inclusive Honey Maid/Teddy Grahams Commercial Slammed By One Million Moms
So yes, there are calls to boycott brands/people from those who are anti-ssm just as much as from those who are pro-ssm. They fail. Why? Because the majority are major household brands/names that people don't want to give up over such a stupid issue. In reality, the who Eich thing should not have gone where it did (I didn't approve), but it was due mainly to a company worried about their bottom line and recognizing that people support same sex marriage, especially young people, more than they are against it and that their main demographics in many areas (but especially technology) is young people. People overreact.