Country Mill Farms has regularly participated in the farmers market since 2010. Tennes noted that he sells his goods to all people and there “has never once been an incident” with anyone claiming discrimination. With the ruling in hand, he plans to “continue selling to people of all backgrounds like we always have.”
Although Tennes had a good relationship with the city for years, he began having problems in August 2016 when city officials took issue with a Facebook post he made that expressed the Catholic teaching on marriage and his reasons for not renting out his property for same-sex weddings. That month, the city asked Tennes to stop attending the farmers market because of these business practices.
When Tennes decided to stop hosting weddings altogether the city allowed him to participate in the farmers market for the remainder of 2016. But in December of that year, he ultimately decided to host weddings again and stand up for his religious freedom to abstain from hosting same-sex weddings. He said: “As parents, we want to provide for our children,” but as veterans, he and his wife also felt the need to “stand up for [the] Constitution.”
The farmers market subsequently updated its policies to expressly exclude any business that does not comply with the city’s civil rights ordinances. The judge’s ruling noted that Tennes’ decision to continue hosting weddings and his refusal to host same-sex weddings was the city’s “catalyst for the changes.”
When the farmers market refused to allow Country Mill Farms to participate in its event, Tennes filed a lawsuit claiming his religious liberties had been violated. The court granted him temporary relief in September 2017, which allowed him to participate in the farmers market while the matter was being settled in court.
Tennes noted that he received private support from several businesses, some of whom had also felt pressured into shying away from their religious beliefs. He said he hopes this ruling “can be a ray of hope” for anyone in a similar position and that more people stand up for their religious beliefs and religious freedom.
Going forward, Tennes said he hopes to build a better relationship with current city officials.
Anderson told CNA that there is a trend of “more and more government officials [passing] policies and [enforcing] laws in a way that [targets] people of faith,” particularly related to religious beliefs about gender and sexuality. Yet, she noted that courts have struck down many of these policies, adding: “Those laws are wrong, and they’re being challenged across the country.”
“Every American should be free to live according to their religious beliefs,” Anderson said.
Tyler Arnold is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency, based in EWTN News’ Washington Bureau. He previously worked at The Center Square and has been published in a variety of outlets, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative, and The Federalist.