Michigan Salon Faces Discrimination Charge for Anti-Trans Facebook Post

Studio 8 Hair Lab, a salon in Traverse City, Michigan, has been charged with discrimination by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission for posting on Facebook that it would not serve transgender individuals. The salon could face fines and potential suspension or revocation of its business license. The salon's owner, Christine Geiger, declined to participate in the investigation or conciliation efforts. The case is not about free speech or the First Amendment, but rather about non-discriminatory access to businesses. Michigan's expanded civil rights law, which includes LGBTQ+ rights, does not take effect until February 2023, but the commission has long interpreted the law to include sexual orientation and sexual identity.