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Kentucky Supreme Court To Hear Gay Pride T-Shirt Discrimination Case

WFPL News

The Supreme Court of Kentucky has agreed to take up a case dealing with a Lexington company’s refusal to print t-shirts for organizers of the city’s gay pride parade.  The court will decide whether the actions violated the city’s fairness ordinance.

The lawsuit began in 2012 when Hands On Originals owner Blaine Adamson refused to make t-shirts for the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization, saying doing so would violate his religious beliefs.

The group filed a complaint with the Lexington Human Rights Commission, which said that the company had violated the city’s law forbidding businesses from discriminating based on sexual orientation, but the company appealed the decision. Earlier this year the state Court of Appeals said that Hands On Originals can’t be forced to “promote” a message that runs contrary to their personal beliefs.

The Human Rights Commission appealed the latest decision and now the Kentucky Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case.  A date for arguments over the lawsuit hasn’t been set yet.

Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives. He's covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He grew up in Lexington.

Email Ryland at rbarton@lpm.org.
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