Holy Sexuality v. OpenAI

Description:  OpenAI and Goodstack denied a nonprofit discount to a Christian nonprofit solely because it is a religious organization.

SAN DIEGO – Alliance Defending Freedom’s Center for Free Speech filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of Christian nonprofit Holy Sexuality after OpenAI and Goodstack denied it a discount solely because it is a religious organization.

Holy Sexuality is a Christian nonprofit that creates video courses to teach young people and families about biblical principles on human sexuality. To operate more effectively, Holy Sexuality applied to OpenAI, a San Francisco-based tech company, to receive the company’s 20% nonprofit discount for a ChatGPT subscription. OpenAI’s website informed Holy Sexuality that it “partners with Goodstack” to verify eligibility criteria for nonprofits. But in direct violation of California law, OpenAI and Goodstack outright denied giving Holy Sexuality the discount because “religious … institutions are not eligible.”

“Christians and other people of faith aren’t second-class citizens in California, and tech companies can’t refuse discounts to customers simply because they’re religious,” said ADF Legal Counsel Mathew Hoffmann. “We are urging the court to affirm our client Holy Sexuality’s fundamental freedom of religion, declare OpenAI and Goodstack’s discriminatory denial and policy unlawful, and require the tech giant to grant Holy Sexuality the nonprofit discount.”

Holy Sexuality is a Christian ministry that lives out its faith by creating educational content about biblical teachings. After seeing much confusion in the ongoing societal debate surrounding sexuality and gender identity, Dr. Christopher Yuan founded Holy Sexuality to provide resources for any family to understand, embrace, and celebrate biblical sexuality.

“Our nation was founded on the principle of the free exercise of religion—a cornerstone of our democracy,” Dr. Yuan said. “Yet some corporations, emboldened by intersectional ideology and anti-Christian sentiment, choose to unlawfully discriminate based solely on religion. This must stop. California law protects all religions from discrimination. Equal treatment is the bedrock of our society.”

In the lawsuit, the attorneys explain how OpenAI and Goodstack’s categorical denial and policy are both blatant examples of religious discrimination. Both are also illegal under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which entitles all people in California “no matter what their … religion” to “full and equal” treatment from businesses.

In April, ADF attorneys favorably settled another case against religious discrimination by a large technology company. In that case, Holy Sexuality sued California-based software company Asana after it too failed to give Holy Sexuality the same discount it gives other nonprofits. Asana awarded the Christian nonprofit the 50% nonprofit discount and revised its discriminatory policy to settle the case.

ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit Holy Sexuality v. OpenAI in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Robert J. Reynolds is serving as co-counsel on behalf of Holy Sexuality.

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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