Fresh off being labeled a hate group for promoting vehemently anti-LGBTQ extremism, hate group Alliance Defending Freedom’s lawsuit on behalf of a homophobic couple that wanted to challenge the Minnesota Human Rights Act by refusing service to same-sex couples has been dismissed by a judge, who wrote in his decision this week that the couple’s wish to put a notice on their website saying they wouldn’t provide video recording services to gay couples “conduct akin to a ‘White Applicants Only’ sign”:
In his ruling, Chief U.S. District Judge John Tunheim described that as "conduct akin to a 'White Applicants Only' sign" that may be outlawed without infringing on First Amendment rights.
"Posting language on a website telling potential customers that a business will discriminate based on sexual orientation is part of the act of sexual orientation discrimination itself," the judge wrote. "As conduct carried out through language, this act is not protected by the First Amendment."
While Carl and Angel Larsen plan to appeal, the judge’s move is a significant setback for ADF, who are also pushing similar litigation at the Supreme Court, where they are leading a lawsuit on behalf of “Jack Phillips, the Colorado cake maker who sued for the right to refuse to make wedding cakes for same-sex weddings.” ThinkProgress’s Zack Ford notes that “ADF’s arguments to the Supreme Court as to why Phillips should be able to refuse to sell wedding cakes to same-sex couples are nearly identical to the Larsens’ claims that were just shot down in this case.”
In the Minnesota case, state commissioner of human rights Kevin Lindsey celebrated the judge’s decision, saying that “once you engage in commercial activity, you are subject to government regulation. If the government allows discrimination to occur for that one protected class, it then allows that discrimination to go forward against all protected classes.”
As the Washington Post notes, ADF has been emboldened by Donald Trump’s victory, armed with “3,000 attorneys across the country and $44 million in funding.” Kerry Eleveld detailed the reach of ADF’s hateful and radical agenda:
While ADF has largely run out of options for promoting the criminalization of homosexuality in America, the group has taken its anti-sodomy agenda overseas. ADF has actively worked to promote and defend anti-sodomy laws that criminalize gay sex in Jamaica, Belize and India. In 2010, the United Nations granted special consultant status to ADF, allowing the group to help shape international human rights policy and treaties. More recently, the group has become involved in the Organization of American States, where ADF’s mission has been battling “abortion and radical sexual agendas.”
Eleveld details more of ADF’s deplorable history here. Ford’s expert, in-depth look into the Minnesota case is here.