City of Jacksonville Settles with Catholic Bookstore That Challenged Law Requiring Use of Preferred Pronouns

The city of Jacksonville in Florida has agreed to treat a local Catholic bookstore as a religious organization, allowing the store’s owner to implement a policy around gender identity without having to worry about running afoul of the city’s anti-discrimination laws.

The settlement stems from a lawsuit by Queen of Angels Catholic Store owner Christie DeTrude and her lawyers from Alliance Defending Freedom, who alleged that the city’s public-accommodations law violated DeTrude’s First Amendment speech and religious rights.