Telescope Media Group v. Lucero
Description: The Minnesota Human Rights Act forces Carl and Angel Larsen and their company, Telescope Media Group, to use their filmmaking talents to promote same-sex marriages if they produce films that celebrate marriage between one man and one woman.
ADF responds to MN attorney general’s announcement in Telescope Media case
“Carl and Angel won a great free speech victory at the 8th Circuit, which rightly affirmed that the government has no power to force people to express messages that violate their deepest convictions. This principle protects everyone. It means the state can’t threaten the Larsens with jail time for declining to create a film promoting a view of marriage that violates their religious beliefs. It also prevents the government from forcing an atheist musician to perform at an evangelical church service or a Democratic speech writer to write speeches for a Republican.
“After the Larsens won at the 8th Circuit, the Minnesota attorney general agreed to an order from the court preventing it from enforcing the law against the Larsens while the case proceeds. Carl and Angel are pleased that they will soon be able to enter the marriage industry and produce films that are consistent with their beliefs. We look forward to securing a final victory that prevents the state from using its power to banish people of faith from the public square.”
- Pronunciation guide: Tedesco (Teh-DESS’-koh)
Additional resources: Telescope Media Group v. Lucero
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Jeremy Tedesco serves as senior counsel and senior vice president of communications for Alliance Defending Freedom, where he oversees the implementation of strategic initiatives and advocacy campaigns. In this role, he serves as a lead convener of the Philadelphia Statement, a movement dedicated to restoring free speech and civil discourse. Since joining ADF in 2004, Tedesco has litigated First Amendment cases at the highest levels. Tedesco earned his Juris Doctor in 2004 from the Regent University School of Law, where he was a recipient of West’s Academic Achievement Award. He is a member of the state bar of Arizona, admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Arizona, as well as multiple federal district and appellate courts.