DE PERE – A Brown County judge has determined a De Pere ordinance barring discrimination based on gender identity infringes on the religious freedom of local churches.
The ordinance, approved by the De Pere City Council last year, prohibits employers, businesses and landlords from discriminating against people based on gender identity or expression. The protections cover those who identify as transgender and gender non-binary.
A group of five churches and Lakeshore Communications, which owns Christian radio station Q90FM, filed a lawsuit in February seeking exemption from the ordinance. The churches that are party to the lawsuit are Hope Lutheran, Crosspoint, Destiny, St. Mark Lutheran and Christ the Rock.