Why is it illegal to deny alcohol service to a pregnant woman?

• A. It is not proven to be harmful to mother or child.
• B. Only hard liquor can be denied, not wine or beer.
• C. It is considered to be sex discrimination.
• D. It is not illegal; it would be irresponsible to serve.

Answer: (C)

Denying service to someone simply because she is pregnant targets a characteristic tied to sex, which makes it a form of sex discrimination. Public accommodations laws prohibit treating people differently based on pregnancy or sex, so policies that refuse to serve a pregnant woman are illegal. Safety concerns can be handled by applying rules equally to everyone (for example, refusing service to anyone who appears intoxicated), rather than targeting pregnancy. The other options miss the legal point: legality isn’t about which type of alcohol or about potential harm, but about treating people differently because of pregnancy.