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Getty Images The city of Jacksonville, Florida, has agreed to exempt a Catholic bookstore from an LGBT nondiscrimination law, thereby enabling the establishment to operate in accordance with its religious beliefs about gender and sexuality. Last Thursday, the city of Jacksonville and Queen of Angels Catholic Bookstore settled a lawsuit that focused on whether or not the religious business had to abide by city law regarding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity even though doing so would violate its deeply held religious beliefs. Under the terms of the settlement, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida declared Queen of Angels a religious organization that was exempt from Jacksonville’s law requiring businesses to adhere to nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Hal Frampton, who represented the bookstore in the litigation, elaborated on its implications for the business and its owner, Christie DeTrude, in a statement . “Free speech is for everyone. All Americans should be free to say what they believe without fear of government punishment,” he said. “Christie gladly serves everyone, but she can’t speak messages that conflict with her religious beliefs.” […]