Table Of Content
- Lady Gaga cancels sister’s bachelorette party at LES club The Box after pressure over sex harassment suit
- Run With An Olympian: Track Star LaShawn Merritt Visits Traverse City
- Doctor who drove Tesla off cliff with family inside had 'psychotic' break, psychologists say in court
- Comments come after Supreme Court ruling
- South Africa marks ‘Freedom Day,’ 30 years since apartheid ended, amid discontent with the ANC
- Michigan Civil Rights Commission Elects Officers, Establishes Priority Issue Committees for 2024
Her coverage areas included state government and politics, including abortion rights and gun violence prevention issues. In a Wednesday morning press conference, MDCR Director John Johnson said that Geiger’s post, and subsequent doubling down on her stances, were in violation of Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). A friend of Christine Geiger, the owner of Studio 8, made a post on Facebook saying she supports Geiger for standing up for what she believes in. A Facebook post from Studio 8 Hair Lab suggested that anyone who identifies as anything other than a man or a woman should see a pet groomer and that service would be denied to them.
Lady Gaga cancels sister’s bachelorette party at LES club The Box after pressure over sex harassment suit
State lawmakers codified that ruling into law earlier this year, though as the bill did not receive immediate effect, it’s not currently able to be enforced. Supreme Court decision along 6-3 partisan lines that ruled a Colorado website designer could not be compelled to create wedding websites for LGBTQ+ couples. The ruling, which was relatively narrow, determined the website designer was creating customized speech and was protected on First Amendment grounds. In a Time magazine article in July, legal experts said the case should not be interpreted to mean other businesses can engage in discrimination – and specifically cited Studio 8, which made national headlines this summer, as an example. However, they predicted the Supreme Court case would encourage more lawsuits seeking to exempt a wider range of businesses from anti-discrimination laws on free speech or religious grounds. Studio 8 owner Christine Geiger did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday left through the salon’s phone, email, and social media accounts.
State to charge Traverse City hair salon with discrimination - Traverse City Record Eagle
State to charge Traverse City hair salon with discrimination.
Posted: Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Run With An Olympian: Track Star LaShawn Merritt Visits Traverse City
"Jack Winn Pro strongly believes in and supports LGBTQ+ rights. We are committed to creating an inclusive, respectful environment for all - regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristics that define who they are," the post said. "It's the TQ+ that I'm not going to support," she said, referring to transgender and queer or questioning people. The comment, posted in a local Facebook group, used language often repeated by far-right conspiracy theorists to paint LGBTQ people as "groomers" dangerous to young people. The next step for the Studio 8 case will be awaiting a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Doctor who drove Tesla off cliff with family inside had 'psychotic' break, psychologists say in court
"Hate has shown time and time again to be a losing business strategy and we must not allow this blight to take root in our town," Link said. "Traverse City has a vibrant and thriving queer community thanks in part to our many allies and queer friendly businesses. Statements like the one from Studio 8 undermine the hard work that has been put in to make Traverse City the absolute best that it can be." "To compare our LGBTQ+ neighbors to animals and pedophiles is breathtaking hate and bigotry from a studio in my community," Coffia said in a public statement. "It is also dangerous because it dehumanizes fellow Michiganders at a time when violence against LGBTQ+ residents simply for who they are is already on the rise."
MDCR officials said that the charge is one of unlawful advertisement, not free speech. According to the charge, even though Geiger didn’t physically remove someone from her salon based on their gender identity, the posts she made still negatively impacted LGBTQ+ members of the community. Geiger filed her own complaint against the city of Traverse City and the three individuals on Oct. 25. The complaint, according to MLive, accuses the city and three of its residents of violating the salon’s 1st Amendment rights for filing civil rights complaints.
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission Celebrates 60th Anniversary in Lansing Ceremony
Cisgender is a term to describe a person whose gender aligns with the sex they were registered as at birth. In March, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law an amendment to law that includes sexual orientation and gender expression as a protection. Geiger is no longer allowed to affiliate with a hair product line that she regularly used, promoted, and sold at her salon, Jack Winn Pro announced in a statement posted to social media. The hair product company said it is committed to supporting the rights of LGBTQ people.
The business has since deleted its Facebook page, though an image of the initial post can still be found online. Now legal experts say that not only is the business misinterpreting a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the topic to refuse service, but that it may be running afoul of discrimination protections in Michigan.
Geiger's business is currently under investigation by the City of Traverse City, to determine if she is in violation of the city's non-discrimination ordinance. In the original Facebook post, Geiger inaccurately referenced House Bill 4744 while expressing the salon's refusal to acknowledge preferred pronouns. Hair product manufacturer Jack Winn Pro publicly distanced itself from Geiger's remarks, while expressing its unwavering support for LGBTQ+ rights. None of them were denied service in Studio 8, so now we’re in a pure speech category,” David Delaney, the attorney for Studio 8 Hair Lab, said. “This stance was taken to insure [sic] that clients have the best experience and I am admitting that since I am not willing to play the pronoun game or cater to requests outside of what I perceive as normal this probably isn’t the best option for that type of client,” she wrote.
In July 2022, Michigan's Supreme Court ruled in favor of expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination in employment, public accommodations, public services, housing and educational facilities. Supreme Court sided with a Denver web designer who refused to create websites for same-sex weddings, citing that it violates her religious beliefs and First Amendment rights. The court's findings in the Colorado case have significant implications for when businesses can refuse service to customers.
After announcing that certain members of the LGBTQ+ community are unwelcome at Studio 8 Hair Lab in Traverse City, owner Christine Geiger is no longer allowed to affiliate with a hair product line that she regularly used, promoted and sold at her salon. Her public comments dehumanizing our trans and non-binary communities are a disgrace. Freedom of speech is not freedom to discriminate or freedom of consequences. After deleting the post, Geiger clarified on a different Facebook page that she has “no issues with LGB,” referring to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
The Civil Rights Department says this case is not about free speech because Studio 8 violated the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights act. The act prevents discrimination based on religion, race or color, and the department says Geiger advertised unlawful discrimination. Back in July, the owner of Studio 8 Hair Lab, Christine Geiger, posted on Facebook that anyone who identifies other than male or female needs to get serviced at a pet groomer. The State Department of Civil Rights has now charged her with discrimination for that post. We reached out to the city to get their reaction, but because a lawsuit has been filed against the city they declined to comment. That is a red herring designed to grab and divert our attention away from the real violations of law and Christine Geiger’s responsibilities under law,” John Jonson, the executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, said.
“This business recently received increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news rather than actual consumer experiences with the business,” a Yelp message stated. Christine Geiger, who is listed as the salon’s co-owner, did not respond to The Post’s multiple requests seeking comment Thursday. Traverse City announced the salon was under investigation for discrimination over the claims. “Should you request to have a particular pronoun used, please note we may simply refer to you as ‘hey you.’ Regardless of MI HB 4744,” the post further stated, referring to the code for a Michigan hate crime law. Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples, although she agreed with the decision.
By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Late last month multiple outlets, including Fox News and the Daily Mail, ran stories arguing the legislation would make it a felony to use the wrong pronouns for someone, despite the fact the word “pronouns” appears nowhere in the bill. The meeting agenda will be posted on the Michigan Department of Civil Rights website at Michigan.gov/MDCR. Large groups protested outside Studio 8 following those posts and the City of Traverse City launched its own investigation.
The court later ruled in her favor, noting that her designs constituted a form of speech and that forcing her to design a website which ran afoul of her faith could stifle her First Amendment rights. Geiger’s case prompted a rebuke from hair product manufacturer Jack Winn Pro, which announced the salon can no longer use its products. It is not a case that relies on complex legal concepts or requires expansive or convoluted arguments to explain,” said John Johnson Jr., director of the department. That post suggested that anyone who identifies as anything other than a man or woman should see a pet groomer and that service from Studio 8 would be denied to them.
The bill Geiger intended to reference is likely HB 4474, which seeks to expand Michigan's hate crime law to protect gender identity and sexual orientation. Misinformation has spread online, falsely claiming that the bill criminalizes the use of incorrect pronouns. It does note that there could be civil action against someone who discriminates against another for gender identity or expression, though this could apply to both transgender and cisgender people alike.
The recommendation will then go before Michigan’s Civil Rights Commission to either adopt or make their own ruling. The Department of Civil Rights investigates and resolves discrimination complaints and works to prevent discrimination through educational programs that promote voluntary compliance with civil rights laws. HB 4744 pertains to the establishment and maintenance of a qualified voter file.
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