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In the aftermath of the election, the time appears to be right to try to roll back perceived gains of the last few decades and now Minnesota's Human Rights Act is in the crosshairs.

This is the provision that is now the subject of a pending court case:

There is a religious provision in the act, but it applies only to religious institution or religious associations and  does not prevent them from "taking any action with respect to the provision of goods, services, facilities, or accommodations directly related to the solemnization or celebration of a civil marriage that is in violation of its religious beliefs."

Carl and Angel Larsen, of St. Cloud, are trying to make a buck, and there's the rub. They're photographers and videographers and they don't want to work with same-sex couples, even in the unlikely chance that same-sex couples want to work with them. So the exemption doesn't apply to their firm, 

, which exists "to magnify Christ like a telescope," according to their website.

They're the test case for a federal suit filed by the group, 

, an Arizona-based conservative group, the 

The suit has been filed as a "pre-enforcement challenge," indicating the Larsens have never had to deal with the issue; they just don't want to should it present itself.

The Larsens aren't talking about their suit, filed yesterday.

But Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, told the

 the couple has the right to reject business. “We wouldn’t want a Democratic speechwriter being made to write speeches for Trump under force of law or an atheist singer forced to sing Christian hymns at a church. These are choices creative professionals can make. The worry is if the government can take it away from people like the Larsens, what’s to stop it from taking away from everyone else?” he said.

Tedesco's group  produced this video in advance of the lawsuit.

Tedesco's suit is essentially the same one he filed in New Mexico in 2013 on behalf of a photographer  couple who didn't want to do business with same-sex couples.

, which recognized the religious beliefs of a couple but  said the accommodation comes with citizenship.

That case never went to federal court. The Supreme Court declined to rule on the New Mexico court's decision.

Theoretically, at least, the Larsens' suit could give it another opportunity to do so.

NewsCut

Bob Collins

Author

In the aftermath of the election, the time appears to be right to try to roll back perceived gains of the last few decades and now Minnesota's Human Rights Act is in the crosshairs.


St. Cloud couple sues for right to deny business to gays

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