Olympus Spa has locations in Lynnwood and Tacoma and offers Korean spa treatments like hydrotherapy & heat therapy which are traditionally received sans-clothing. In fact, clothing is prohibited in gender separated areas.
But Brad Dacus of Pacific Justice Institute says Washington's public accommodation laws require Olympus to allow men in the women's only areas, and there's a man insisting he be let in.
“There's a man who reportedly has gender confusion, and he has requested to specifically be allowed to be naked along with the women against the intentions and will of both the women and the owners of the spa.
Olympus Spa had a longstanding policy that transgender women are welcome, but not if they are preoperative or have male anatomy, KOMO News reports.
The biological man at the center of the case declined to be interviewed by KOMO News. He reportedly called the spa in January 2020 to ask whether he would be admitted and said he was told that men who identify as women — who had not undergone surgery — would not be admitted.
The man filed a complaint with Washington Human Rights Commission which ruled that he could not be excluded from the women’s facilities.
Dacus says even in the very liberal Northwest enforcing the public accommodation laws would drive the spa out of business. He says that's a price Washington is willing to force on its businesses.
“The state of Washington is willing to lose all Korean spas and other spas if that's what it takes to placate this radical leftist LGBTQ agenda,” Dacus said.
Pacific Justice Institute and Alliance Defending Freedom are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.
The next time the Supreme Court is scheduled to consider which cases to accept will be in October.
“This is a First Amendment Free Exercise of Religion issue where a business owner should not have to compromise their faith,” Dacus said.
