(CNN) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she will appeal a Michigan Claims Court judge's ruling that allows discrimination against a same-sex couple on religious grounds. Judge Christopher Murray ruled Monday that discrimination against people on the basis of their gender identity was unlawful, but he concurrently ruled that a refusal, on religious freedom grounds, to serve customers based on their sexual orientation was permissible. The lawsuits came after two companies barred serving a same-sex couple and a transgender individual "on religious grounds," the opinion states. Nessel, in a press release Thursday, praised Murray's ruling against transgender discrimination but said she would appeal the ruling that the laws in place allow for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. "We intend to submit that all Michigan residents are entitled to protection under the law -- regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation -- in our appeal to this decision."

Source: CNN December 11, 2020 20:15 UTC