After writing a Facebook post claiming he wouldn’t let gay couples get married at his farm, a Michigan apple grower is suing the city of East Lansing, Michigan for being banned from participating in a farmer’s market.
Stephen Tennes is no longer welcome at the market due to a civil rights ordinance that bans discrimination. Tennes thinks this violates his right to express his religious views.
Related: AP Drops “Homophobia,” “Islamophobia” From Style Book
His farm, located roughly 22 miles away from East Lansing, is a popular place to throw weddings.
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Back in December, Tennes wrote on Facebook that he only believes in heterosexual marriage, and would prevent same-sex weddings from happening on the premises.
Kate Anderson, Tennes’ attorney, says that “if the government can shut down a family farmer just because of the religious views he expresses on Facebook… then no American is free.”
According to the Associated Press, East Lansing released a statement claiming the farm violates the city’s “long-standing ordinance that projects sexual orientation,” and that’s why he can no longer sell apples at the market.
Tennes filed the lawsuit in federal court with the aid of Washington-based Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization that specializes in religious liberty cases.
He’s requesting a judge let him back into the East Lansing market and wants to stop the city from enforcing its policies on businesses that are outside the city.
You can watch a report on the lawsuit here.
KaiserVonScheiss
Sounds like government abuse to me. Whether or not he allows same-sex weddings at his farm has no connection to the farmer’s market.
MacAdvisor
I agree. Unless there is some evidence he refused to sell gay people apples at the market place, he should be free to sell apples there. The entire point of the First Amendment is to prevent the government from punishing one for expressing an unpopular view.
dwes09
Hey King of Shit, ever learn how to think in school? Or is cogent thought anathema to you regressives? The city has an anti-discrimination law, he has publicly expressed the intent to discriminate against a suspect class as defined by the government (as a heterosexual you might not understand the ways in which discrimination is expressed against gay and lesbian folks, despite expressing it yourself). Thus the municipality has every right to ban his business from a farmer’s market where all people are welcome regardless of sexual orientation.
It really is not that difficult to understand, even to non-gay folks like you.
fur_hunter
Well…..He can go to the next town over and sell his apples there….just like they tell us at the bakery…to go to the next town and have your cake made there. SOUND FAMILIAR?????
DarkZephyr
Perhaps his homophobia and bigotry doesn’t line up with their sincerely held beliefs? Why does he get to ban people because of his sincerely held beliefs but they don’t get to ban him because of their’s? Please explain.
KaiserVonScheiss
@dwes09 I’m sick and tired of you calling me straight just because you don’t like my opinions. You really are a low piece of shit.
@fur_hunter: Nowhere did I say non-discrimination laws were invalid.
The man’s farm is 22 miles away from the city, which most likely puts it outside the city’s jurisdiction. Thus, whether or not he allows same-sex marriages there is of no concern to the city.
Is the guy refusing to sell apples to anyone at the farmer’s market? If not, then the government shouldn’t ban him from the market. If yes, then fine.
dwes09
I refer to you as straight because your attitude is the same as an anti-gay fundamentalist, or secular herterosexual fascist. If you are to be believed as gay, you would be one who retreats into the closet gladly at the behest of those you consider more complete human beings than yourself and wallow in the the shame and self hatred you clearly feel.
Perhaps you have sex with men (if you are in fact man), but you are not a part of the gay community, and likely prefer that. Do you think anybody here but the other trolls has any respect for you? Do you think you provide anything but amusement here, or that anybody takes you seriously?
To make you sick is an honor actually, you and all the other trolls here who hate anybody who desires s society that does not denigrate others. We denigrate you and your small group of regressives because you are misanthropes and xenophobes, not because you hold different opinions. And we criticize your opinions not because they are in the minority but because they are based on a misunderstanding of reality and a preference for myth and lie over reality.
As for calling me a piece of shit, you name YOURSELF the king of shit. Clearly you are not a balanced person (whether you are gay or straight, male or female).
KaiserVonScheiss
“I refer to you as straight because your attitude is the same as an anti-gay fundamentalist.”
Baseless assertion. I’ve already explained my reasoning. One can accept it or not, but it is far from fundamentalist.
As a classical liberal, I believe in the rule of law, not arbitrary government. Unless he refused to sell apples to gay people at the market or within the city’s jurisdiction, then he is not in violation of the law. Therefore, I believe his rights were violated.
And again, kaiser means emperor, not king.
captainburrito
I agree jurisdiction might be the deciding factor. It might save them. On the one hand it is outside city limits but on the other hand if a company has a policy of deny some of their services to protected classes can the city bar them even if that service is not offered at the market? I suspect it will depend on the judge.
However, even if they win I suspect they will lose business if they move back in. Farmers markets to tend to attract a certain type of customer. And small scale fruit farming is really only viable due to farmers markets so they might have to find an alternative venue. If their business does drop or fail, they will become another sob story for the anti-gay groups. Crowdfunding will always be ready though.
James
Kaiservonscheiss, get lost, your homophobia is not appreciated here.
gmale
You have to be pretty Kaiser/Nazi (and not liberal) to argue that government prevention of discrimination is abuse.
He is a man selling apples and marriage venues in the market. it makes him uncomfortable that gays wish to get married… just the way his father felt uncomfortable with interracial marriage or the presence of coloured people.
Since this man is not the Kaiser… and there is no Kaiser mercifully… he cannot tell the people of the city how to live their lives. if they wish to have gay relationships its none of his business. He should just get used to gays and gay marriage and learn to live in peace with ALL members of the city.
KaiserVonScheiss
@gmale
Typical behaviour to call me a Nazi. I don’t think you know what classical liberalism is. It favours negative liberty over positive liberty. I never said prevention of discrimination was abuse. I never said that anti-discrimination laws were abuse, only in this particular circumstance. Had you read what I wrote in total, you might have known that.
In your last paragraph, I’m unsure about whom you are writing, me or the farmer? If the former, where did I say I oppose same-sex marriage (which I don’t, BTW). That is simply an erroneous assumption you made.
Also, the forced abdication of the Kaiser and the German monarchies created a political vacuum allowing for the eventual rise of the Third Reich.
Kenney G
lol let him he his own apples
Billy Budd
Yes, now he doesn’t have any trouble, he can eat as many apples as he likes and doesnt need to sell them anymore. Now he will certainly be happier in his straight world.
Heywood Jablowme
Sounds like overkill to me. But he is NOT “banned from selling apples”; he is merely banned from selling apples *on city property* and/or *at a city-organized event.” Big difference.
MacAdvisor
Not really, if that is the main market place to sell apples in the area. Moreover, in this case, as Mr. Spock says, it is a distinction without a difference. That the city bars him from selling his apples at their events due to his viewpoint is the problem, not that the ban only applies to city events. The government is performing content discrimination, forbidden under the First Amendment. The government may ban people who post on Facebook, but not decide what can and cannot be posted without punishment.
dwes09
“Not really, if that is the main market place to sell apples in the area. ”
Hard to imagine that a city of 50,000 has only one farmer’s market or no brick and mortar produce markets! But then regressives never really think that well. Even so, with an anti-discrimination law it is well within the rights of either the city or a private promoter to refuse entry to one who wishes to ignore an anti discrimination ordinance.
Does a rock festival have to allow any band that wishes to perform?
Does a synagogue have to allow nazis to attend and disrupt events?
Does a city have to allow the KKK to set up shop at public events not organized specifically by or for them?
Does a Pride celebration have to allow fundamentalists to come and harangue attendees?
One’s first amendment rights cannot necessarily be exercised anywhere, especially if they violate ordinances relating to the venue in which they occur. Being kept from an event is not at all the same as being prosecuted or fined or imprisoned for an unpopular view, it simply assures that people there for a specific purpose are not forcibly subjected to them.
This will be way over your head, but there used to be a group of young fundamentalists who would come into my neighborhood on Friday or Saturday night and loudly proclaim the hellbound fate of sinners (this is the Castro neighborhood in SF). One night, having finally had enough, folks on the street spontaneously confronted them, told them they were not wanted and told (not asked) them to leave. When they refused we assured them there would be physical consequences to their staying, surrounded them and harassed them until they ran off. They never came back. We did not violate their first amendment rights, but simply exercised ours. ALL speech has consequences, all communities have rights to extend full enfranchisement to their citizens and protect them from active hatred. In no way does the banning of someone from an event (when they are in violation of understood codes of behavior) constitute prosecution of punishment by the government. They remain free to express their views, just not at that event.
DarkZephyr
@MacAdvisor maybe the government employees involved have sincerely held beliefs that his bigotry clashes with. After all, that’s what Trump is championing. Even government employees should be allowed to discriminate based on their belief according to him.
James
Heywood jablowme, you should go to the american family association website as your homophobia is not appreciated here nor ANYWHERE.
Pleakley
So he can choose who he delivers services to…
But the city cannot make a similar decision?
MacAdvisor
No, the Constitution restricts the kinds of distinctions government may draw. A government may not decide who may or may not participate in a city run event based on the views expressed in other forums. That is viewpoint discrimination. For example, a city could ban billboards, but not just ban billboards of a religious nature. The government must remain neutral as to content.
dwes09
So you believe that there can be no anti-discrimination ordinances? Sure seems that way. Neither a wise no correct belief. But not surprising coming from regressives.
DarkZephyr
@MacAdvisor, again, maybe it’s the government employees involved that have sincerely held beliefs but his bigotry clashes with.
captainburrito
MacAdvisor A proclaimation of an intent to discriminate can set off public accomodation laws. In Colorado you are not allowed to even display that sign that says: management reserves the right to refuse service.
DuMaurier
@dwes09, I guess you have some kind of ongoing problem with the Kaiser, but leaving that aside, you’re in no position to question anyone’s ‘cogency’ of thought, since the whole point of the lawsuit whooshed right over your gray head. The legal question is whether the city can ban vendors who are discriminating elsewhere, where it is legal to do so. That question will be answered in court, but either way, it doesn’t say much for your schooling that you completely missed it.
Terrycloth
It’s a farmers market .I’m sure there are other farmers selling apples that may feel the same way as he does.yet I bet they know not to say anything .. have all the weddings you want on YOUR property & sell apples too.although I wouldn’t be surprised if people won’t want to patronize
a bigots place.
fur_hunter
Well…..He can go to the next town over and sell his apples there….just like they tell us at the bakery…to go to the next town and have your cake made there. SOUND FAMILIAR?????
DuMaurier
Yep, but unless you’re endorsing that it doesn’t make much sense to cite it here.
footwork61
I’m not sure how stating that he is going to run a public accommodation (his wedding venue) in a discriminatory manner is stating his religious views.
James
The creep Stephen Tennes has had his phone disconnected. Guess the loser got too many hate calls. I am glad he is banned from selling apples. He is nothing but a hate filled monster.
Marco
This is just a scaremongering fundraising orchestrated by the Alliance Defending Freedom [sic]. They make big $ by promoting christianist martyrdom.
KeithFFarrell
I don’t see why he should be surprised. Homophobia is wrong.
Then again let him sell his produce there and make a public information notice to the effect that he does not support equal rights. Let the people decide if they want to buy his products. I certainly would not buy from him
JessPH
If you can’t follow the city laws and ordinances then don’t sell apples and your services there.
He BGB
Most of these people, cases, are not really about any religious beliefs but just fear and ignorance about gays, ie, homophobia. They can’t stand that gay people got to get married and end discrimination (says the Supreme Court) so they are twisting and turning in the wind, any thing they can think of to get around it. Whether Jesus says it or not, they are disturbed by 2 men doing each other (2 women too, but not so much).
MommieDammit
I just love these religiousy-bigoty-hypocrites. This is typical of the religious extremist – spout off at the mouth against your target-du-jour, but when the legal consequences come to bite you in the ass start screaming that you’re being persecuted.
No, asshole, you’re being PROsecuted. There’s a difference. Learn.