Court Sides with Anti-Gay Photographer, Blocks Louisville’s Fairness Ordinance
ruling issued on August 30, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Beaton granted a request from Chelsey Nelson for an injunction to block the city from enforcing the law, which prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ people in employment, housing, and public accommodations.Nelson initially sued in 2019, arguing that the Fairness Ordinance violated her First Amendment rights on the grounds that the city might be able to force her to photograph same-sex weddings or “otherwise express messages inconsistent with Nelson’s beliefs.” She also sought to be able to advertise on her website that she only photographs opposite-sex ceremonies.As several other artistic professionals or wedding-related businesses have claimed in other cases, Nelson claimed she would have served clients, including LGBTQ people, “regardless of their backgrounds” so long as the work was not marriage-related.