A hair salon owner in Michigan has vowed to ban some members of the LGBTQ+ community who specify their pronouns, saying they are ‘not welcome’ in her salon.
Christine Geiger, owner of Studio 8 Hair Lab, wrote on Facebook, ‘If a human identifies as anything other than a male/female, please seek service from a local pet sitter.’
Geiger wrote that he was merely exercising his right to ‘free speech’ as well as his power as a business owner to ‘deny service’ to certain customers.
Posts and accounts have been deleted. The salon’s Instagram is set to private with a caption saying they ‘do not promote ideology’.
The woman’s post comes just weeks after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Christian web designer who refused to create a site for a same-sex couple.
Christine Geiger (pictured) has vowed to ban some members of the LGBTQ+ community who specify their pronouns in her salon. saying they are ‘not welcome’
It’s Studio 8 Hair Lab in Traverse City — the salon at the center of the controversy
‘If a human identifies as anything other than a male/female, please seek the services of a local vet,’ Giger wrote on Facebook.
In the since-deleted post, Geiger wrote that he didn’t think he was violating a law passed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in March.
If you request the use of a special pronoun, please note that we may refer to you simply as “Hey you”. Regardless of MI HB 4744,” Geiger wrote.
In March, Governor Whitmer signed a law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
In her post, Geiger wrote that as a small business owner she is ‘not bound by an oath because realtors are about discrimination.’
Under her provocative comment, she added the hashtag ‘Take a stand.’
Her post drew the attention of local residents who blasted her on local Facebook groups, calling out her comments.
‘This is a real post from a local salon in downtown Traverse City. You are allowed your opinion but you are not allowed to discriminate [sic],’ the caption read.
Giger doubled down on his controversial adoption at the bottom of the post, saying he had ‘no problem with LGB. It’s TQ+ that I’m not going to support.’
In her post, Giger (pictured) wrote that she is ‘not bound by any oath as a small business owner because realtors are about discrimination’.
This is a completely deleted post by Christine Geiger on Facebook
In March, Governor Gretchen Whitmer (pictured) signed a law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Continuing his lengthy comment, the salon owner said he believed the ‘+’ was code for ‘person attracted to minors aka: pedophile’.
The ‘+’ in the LGBTQ+ acronym actually represents members of the community who identify with an orientation or identity that is not covered by the acronym.
GoodRx Health reports, ‘It’s an inclusive way of representing gender and sexual identity that letters and words still can’t fully describe.
Giger says he is ‘not willing to play pronouns or fulfill requests beyond what I think is normal’ for his clients.
‘Conservatives need to adapt these awakened people to their new reality,’ he wrote, adding that he had ‘enough of their ideology’.
Her original post and follow-up comments drew strong backlash from Traverse City residents who said she was displaying ‘reprehensible behavior’.
‘So much for “taking a stand” – post deleted,’ one person wrote.
‘Christine, your level of hatred and ignorance has caused many people who are struggling to take their own lives,’ another angry Facebook user responded.
‘Imagine someone already struggling with their feelings and being on edge and then reading that they should go to a dog groomer?!’ They wrote.
Her original post and follow-up comments drew strong backlash from Traverse City residents who said she was exhibiting ‘criminal behavior’
‘Christine, your hate and ignorance has led to many people who are struggling taking their own lives,’ another angry Facebook user responded.
One person mentioned that the owner of the salon seems to have deleted the negative reviews
The woman’s post comes just weeks after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Christian web designer who refused to create a site for a same-sex couple.
Geiger may be encouraged by the Supreme Court’s recent 6-4 ruling in which a Christian web designer refused to design a website for same-sex marriage.
The ruling overturned a lower court’s decision that Denver-area business owner Lori Smith was not exempt from a Colorado law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
“The protection of the First Amendment extends to everyone, not just to speakers whose motives the government deems worthy,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch for the majority.
‘In this case, Colorado seeks to compel a person to speak in a way that is consistent with his views but defies his conscience on matters of vital importance.’