Michigan Salon Owner Refuses Service After Landmark SCOTUS Ruling – Trans Activists Are Steaming
The owner of a Michigan hair salon is pushing a recent Supreme Court decision about as far as it can go by refusing to do business with transgender people.
But is she right? Does the decision supporting free speech and freedom of religion cover her refusal to give haircuts to certain customers?
Salon owner Christine Geiger of Traverse City, Michigan, stirred a hornet’s nest when she announced that she would not serve men claiming to be women or women claiming to be men.
“I just don’t want the woke dollar. … I’d rather not be as busy than to have to do services that I don’t agree with,” Geiger told The Associated Press.
She also insisted that her policy is in opposition to the worrying trend of children being inundated with transgender ideology in schools and doctors’ offices.
Geiger first raised the ire of liberals with a Facebook post reading, “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. Should you request to have a particular pronoun used please note we may simply refer to you as ‘hey you.'”
Studio 8 Hair Lab’s Instagram bio was also changed to read, “A private CONSERVATIVE business that does not cater to woke ideologies.” That Instagram account is currently set to private, the Detroit Free Press reported.
“It’s the TQ+ that I’m not going to support,” Geiger said, referring to transgender and “queer” people, according to USA Today.
Disgusting.
A hair salon in Michigan announced it will discriminate against trans/queer people seeking haircuts.
Studio 8 Hair Lab, by Christine Geiger, announced that she would refuse service to trans and queer people, and any haircut not deemed “normal” for their gender. pic.twitter.com/lEzsFRS8vS
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) July 11, 2023
Geiger’s now-hidden and deleted posts raised a ruckus and sent Traverse City officials looking to see if she was violating any city ordinances.
“We are disheartened to hear of any discriminatory behavior in our region,” Mayor Richard Lewis said. “The City of Traverse City has valued itself on providing a safe environment for all people.”
The controversy comes weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Colorado could not compel a Denver web designer to create wedding websites for same-sex couples against her religious and moral objections.
The decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis noted that web designer Lorie Smith and all Americans are “free to think and speak as they wish” and neither federal, state nor local governments can compel speech.
So, the big question for Geiger is whether giving a haircut counts as speech.
One expert told WZZM-TV that the hair stylist’s actions are likely unconstitutional.
Brendan Beery, a constitutional law professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, noted that the recent Supreme Court decision focused on “expressive” services like building websites.
“If giving somebody a haircut is not expressive, then, yep, this kind of discrimination is barred under state law very clearly,” Beery said.
Geiger’s case raises the question of just how far you can push free speech protections. And you can be certain that this one will head to the courts.
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