Girls' night out: unhappy hours.

• Author: Soave, Robby
• Position: Citings - Brief article

ARE LADIES' night discounts human rights violations in disguise? The Minnesota Department of Human Rights thinks so. The agency is investigating five bars in Minneapolis and St. Paul for selling discounted drinks to female customers.

According to the department, this practice violates the state's Human Rights Act, which forbids businesses from discriminating against customers based on sex. This isn't the first time sexism has reared its head in the Minnesota bar scene: In 1992 the department charged Gators Bar at the Mall of America with discrimination because of its ladies' nights.

Both the 1992 investigation and the current one stemmed from the complaints of one man: the Minnesota-based activist Steve Horner, who has earned at least $6,000 by filing discrimination complaints against...