Michigan judge has sided with a Catholic farmer who was banned from selling his produce at market after he expressed his religious objections to so-called gay marriage. The conclusion of this 6-year legal battle allows Steve Tennes of Country Mill Farms to continue selling at the public market and acknowledges that Tennes was the subject of religious discrimination.
According to a press release from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represented Tennes, the problems arose when Tennes posted on Facebook about his Catholic beliefs that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Furthermore, Tennes would host wedding events at his farm, but would not do so for homosexual couples.
Taking umbrage at Tenne’s decision to follow his faith, city officials went on to enact a policy that prohibited Country Mill Farms from participating in the city’s farmer’s market. This new policy required farmers to comply with the city’s anti-discrimination laws if they wished to take part in the farmer’s market.
ADF noted that Tennes had never refused to sell his produce to anyone, and in addition, they argued that Country Mill Farms was 22 miles outside of the city’s boundaries and was thus outside of its jurisdiction.
Source: aleteia.org
Photo Credit: gettyimages-pattanaphong-khuankaew
Categories: Michigan, General