Michigan Takes Step to Punish Salon Owner Who Said She'll Only Serve Men and Women
Authorities filed a discrimination charge.
www.theepochtimes.com
Michigan officials have charged a salon owner with discrimination after she said she would not serve people who identify as anything other than a man or woman.
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights on Nov. 15 charged Christine Geiger and her salon, Studio 8 Hair Lab, with discrimination after investigating complaints that were filed over Ms. Geiger's comments.
"The truth is, based on a thorough investigation, that Studio 8 and its owner Christine Geiger, openly and repeatedly violated the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act," John Johnson Jr., the department's executive director, told reporters in a briefing.
The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of certain characteristics, including religion. Implemented in 1977, it was expanded in 2023 by the state legislature and Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to cover gender identity, enshrining a 2022 Michigan Supreme Court interpretation.
Ms. Geiger posted in July on Facebook: "If a human identifies as anything other than a man/woman please seek services at a local pet groomer. You are not welcome at this salon. Period."
She also said that salon workers might refer to people as "hey you" if they requested a particular pronoun.