TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN: A Michigan hair salon is under fire after its recent Facebook post stated that transgender clients were "not welcome" and should instead "seek services at a local pet groomer." The assertion was made by Studio 8 Hair Lab, a hair shop in Traverse City, in a since-deleted post that was reportedly motivated by reports that the US Supreme Court had ruled in favor of a Christian graphic designer who wanted to exercise his right to discriminate against homosexual couples.
'We do not cater to woke ideologies'
Studio 8 Hair Lab owner Christine Geiger claimed that by "refusing services" to some clients, she only expressed her right to "free speech" and her position as a company owner. Both the message and the account were later removed. The salon's private Instagram post caption states that they "do not cater to woke ideologies," as reported by Daily Mail.
Just a few weeks before Geiger's post, the Supreme Court sided with a Christian web designer who refused to work on a site for a lesbian couple. Geiger claimed that she didn't care that she was breaking a statute that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law in March in the now-deleted post. "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," Geiger stated.
'Not bound to any oaths regarding discrimination'
Gov Whitmer signed a law outlawing discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation in March. Geiger stated in her post that she is "not bound to any oaths as realtors are regarding discrimination" because she owns a small business.
She added the hashtag "take a stand" beneath her fiery remarks. However, the post found staunch criticism from locals and was attacked in neighborhood Facebook groups. A caption read, "This is a real post from a local salon in downtown Traverse City. You are allowed to your opinion but you are not allowed to discriminate." The salon owner continued her lengthy reply by stating that, in her opinion, the plus sign (+) stands for a pedophile.
'Not willing to play the pronoun game'
Geiger stated that she is "not willing to play the pronoun game or cater to requests outside of what I perceive as normal" for her clientele. Her original post and follow-up comments received heavy backlash from fellow Traverse City residents who said she was displaying "vile behavior." As mentioned earlier, Geiger could be emboldened by the Supreme Court's recent 6-4 decision in favor of a Christian web designer who declined to create a website for a same-sex wedding.
The contentious decision reversed a lower court's determination that the Denver-area company owner Lorie Smith was not entitled to an exception from a Colorado statute that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.
'The First Amendment’s protections belong to all'
Justice Neil Gorsuch, who authored the majority verdict, stated, "The First Amendment’s protections belong to all, not just to speakers whose motives the government finds worthy." He added, "In this case, Colorado seeks to force an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience about a matter of major significance."
