Olympus Spa Appeals to Supreme Court Over Transgender Admission Ban at Women-Only Spa

Olympus Spa, a women-only Korean bathhouse in Lynwood, Washington, faced a lawsuit after the Washington State Human Rights Commission said it illegally turned away Haven Wilvich, a non-binary trans woman with a penis. The 9th Circuit upheld the state's anti-discrimination statute, dismissing the spa's First Amendment defense. In dissent, Judge Lawrence VanDyke used graphic language to criticize the decision, while Judge M. Margaret McKeown warned against expanding association rights.

Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom and Pacific Justice Institute, the spa now petitions the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing its cultural and religious heritage makes it an expressive association deserving exemption. Experts say the Court has been reluctant to grant such exemptions, and a ruling could affect broader anti-discrimination protections. The dispute also raises whether sex-segregated facilities can claim religious exemptions without being classified as private clubs.