LGBTQ+ org files formal complaint against... wedding venue that banned LGBTQ+

[Jessica_Rose]

LGBTQ+ org files formal complaint against Michigan wedding venue that banned LGBTQ+ couples

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lgbtq-org-files-formal-complaint-against-michigan-wedding-venue-that-banned-lgbtq-couples/ar-BB1i5n5t?cvid=47e4f744f6494a5fd349939a8e299e64&ei=23

Story by John Russell (10 Feb 2024)

A Michigan LGBTQ+ organization has filed a formal complaint against a wedding venue it says discriminates against the LGBTQ+ community in violation of state law.

In a letter to the state's Department of Civil Rights and the Michigan Attorney General's Office, the Surfus Foundation, an LGBTQ+ policy and research foundation based in Grand Rapids, notes that The Old Wooden Barn, LLC, "has a marriage policy that excludes LGBTIQ+ people."

In its letter, the Surfus Foundation also cites the Michigan Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Rouch World v. Michigan Department of Civil Rights, which established that ELCRA's ban on discrimination on the basis of "sex" applied to cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

"This business is similar to Rouch World as a business that provides wedding event services," the organization wrote of The Old Wooden Barn, "and as such would be in violation of" Rouch World v. Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

The organization asked that the Michigan AG's office and the Department of Civil Rights enforce the state's laws against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.

According to the Sentinel, the Old Wooden Barn's owners said they are "discussing things further with their lawyer."