JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local Catholic business is suing the city of Jacksonville challenging its human rights ordinance adopted back in 2020.
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Queen of Angels Catholic Book Store in Mandarin isn’t shy about its owner and staffs’ religious beliefs.
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Hal Frampton, an attorney representing the store with Alliance Defending Freedom, explained one of those beliefs is that pronouns should align with biological sex.
“They’d like to discuss Catholic teaching on gender and human sexuality and in that context explain why they and their staff are not able to use pronouns that aren’t constant with biology,” Frampton said.
But Frampton claims because of the city’s human rights ordinance, the Catholic business is prohibited from adopting a policy aligned with those beliefs.
“That places them at risk of enforcement action, of fines, of investigations, of all kinds of stuff,” Frampton said.
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LGBTQ rights organization Equality Florida pushed back, arguing the lawsuit intentionally misunderstands the HRO’s protections.
“This is about a far-right legal group trying to claim a right to humiliate customers, in contradiction of Supreme Court precedent and basic decency. Everyone should be treated with respect, regardless of the law,” Equality Florida Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer said.
The ordinance doesn’t specifically make mention of pronouns, but Frampton argues similar ordinances in other jurisdictions throughout the country have been used to compel businesses and their employees to use preferred pronouns.
“To essentially cancel those who disagree. To require them to speak messages the disagree with,” Frampton said.
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The lawsuit filed by the store specifically challenges portions of the public accommodations provision in the ordinance.
Even if the lawsuit proves successful, employment and housing protections for LGBTQ individuals in the ordinance would remain intact.
“They’re certainly not intending to do anything except try and speak in accordance with their faith and to try and be respectful. They’re happy to try to find respectful ways of addressing people that don’t require them to violate their religious beliefs,” Frampton said.
The HRO was passed with support from both Republicans and Democrats.
Councilmember Matt Carlucci (R-Group 4 At-Large) was a co-sponsor and said he stands by the policy.
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“The City of Jacksonville is confident that the HRO is protecting people from discrimination and the city is confident it meets constitutional requirements,” Carlucci said in a statement.