Colorado’s newly passed ban on misgendering has drawn another free-speech lawsuit, this time from a Christian bookstore whose owners object to using opposite-sex pronouns.
Born Again Used Books, a family-owned shop in Colorado Springs, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging the law known as House Bill 1312 or the Kelly Loving Act, which adds misgendering and deadnaming to the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.
The result is that business owners face state investigations, cease-and-desist orders and thousands of dollars in fines if they use biologically accurate pronouns when referring to transgender customers and others.
“The store serves everyone regardless of gender identity. That includes customers who present as transgender. These customers, like anyone else, are welcome to patronize the Bookstore and purchase anything it offers for sale,” said the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
“But the Bookstore cannot speak contrary to its beliefs,” the motion said.