A Michigan hair salon has been found to have violated state law by publicly warning transgender and nonbinary customers that they were not welcome, officials have ruled.
Studio 8 Hair Lab in Traverse City published posts in 2023 stating that anyone identifying as other than a man or woman should seek services at a pet groomer. Salon owner Christine Geiger wrote that such individuals were "not welcome at this salon. Period." She also indicated that staff might refuse to use preferred pronouns, opting instead for terms like "hey you."
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission ruled that the salon's Facebook messages constituted discriminatory advertising under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. This ruling marks the first time the commission has directly addressed discriminatory advertising under that law.
"This ruling sets the precedent that no business can publicly discriminate without consequence, whether it occurs face-to-face or over social media," commission chair Luke Londo stated. The commission found that Studio 8, as a business open to the public, must adhere to Michigan's anti-discrimination laws. The posts were deemed to go beyond personal belief by warning prospective customers of service denial based on gender identity or expression.
The commission also found that Studio 8 retaliated against three complainants by suing them after they reported the posts. That lawsuit was dismissed as frivolous in 2024 and is currently under appeal.
Geiger had argued that the salon had the right to refuse service based on freedom of speech. However, Michigan law, specifically the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, prohibits businesses from publishing statements indicating services will be denied based on gender identity or expression. While the law was expanded to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity in February 2024, the Civil Rights Commission had previously issued interpretations dating back to 2018 that covered these protections, and a 2020 court ruling affirmed that the law covered gender identity discrimination.
As a result of the ruling, Geiger has been ordered to remove the discriminatory posts, cease similar future publications, and serve all customers regardless of gender identity or expression. She must also complete anti-discrimination training within 120 days and display a notice about Michigan's anti-discrimination laws in the salon. Furthermore, Studio 8 is required to publish a statement on its Facebook page acknowledging its obligation to comply with the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
Studio 8 was also ordered to pay the complainants' legal fees and other costs. The salon has 30 days to appeal the decision. Information about the ruling will be provided to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and the state Board of Cosmetology, which could take disciplinary action against Geiger’s professional license.
Geiger's attorney stated that the salon would appeal, arguing the case concerns speech rather than discriminatory actions and that no individual was denied service. The commission noted that Geiger did not participate in hearings after being notified and that the posts did not cite religious beliefs as a reason for refusing service.
Following the widely publicized posts in 2023, Studio 8 faced backlash, including numerous negative reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp. As of Wednesday, the salon no longer appeared in Google Maps searches, though the reason for its removal was unclear. Geiger has continued to express strong political views on her other social media accounts, which include posts critical of the government and support for former President Donald Trump.