This Federal Judge Had a Brutal Rebuttal For Homophobic Business Owners
8 years ago Lily Garner
On Sept. 21, Chief US District Court Judge John Tunheim dismissed a discrimination case — and seized the opportunity to make an important point about hate. The case involved business owners Carl and Angel Larsen, who filed a lawsuit in December 2016 after a provision in Minnesota's Human Rights Act outlawed discrimination . . . essentially arguing for their right to discriminate. The Larsens, who hail from St. Cloud and run a videography business, were challenging the provision so they could maintain the right to refuse wedding video services to same-sex couples. They argued that the law indicated "a state effort to stamp out expression opposing same-sex marriage."
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Judge Tunheim said in his ruling that the couple's conduct was "akin to a 'White Applicants Only' sign" and could be outlawed without infringing on First Amendment rights. "Posting language on a website telling potential customers that a business will discrimina..