Discrimination in Businesses Open to the Public 

Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, businesses open to the public (also referred to as public accommodations) are prohibited from discriminating against you because of: your race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other identities under the law. 

• Discrimination in contracting is also prohibited: businesses cannot intentionally refuse to contract with or give a contractor less favorable terms because of their race, national origin, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Businesses open to the public provide goods, services, or facilities to the public such as businesses, nonprofits, gas stations, retail stores, coffee shops, or public transportation services.

Examples of discrimination include:

• A grocery store denies a blind person access because of their service animal.

• CSL Plasma denied a trans person and a non-binary person from donating plasma because of their gender identities.

• A sports bar refuses to turn on closed captioning when a customer who is deaf or hard of hearing requests for it, which is in violation of Minn. Stat. 363A.11.

If you believe you experienced discrimination, report it online.

Additional Resources

We all play a role in ensuring Minnesotans have access to businesses open to the public, free from discrimination.

Below are resources that may be relevant or helpful to your situation.