Judge rules for photographer challenging gay rights law

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal district court has ruled in favor of a Kentucky wedding photographer who challenged a Louisville ordinance banning businesses from discriminating against gay customers. The Courier Journal reports a judge on Tuesday granted a request by Chelsey Nelson for an injunction against the city’s ordinance. The order said the city could not use the law to compel her to photograph same-sex weddings or “otherwise express messages inconsistent with Nelson’s beliefs.” Nelson sued Louisville city officials in 2019 arguing that the city’s so-called fairness ordinance violated the First Amendment because it could force her to take on same-sex wedding assignments. The Louisville ordinance prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.