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One active-duty soldier and one man who believes he was wrongfully denied entry into the Army are among six “Juggalos” who have taken the Justice Department to court, claiming they and other supporters of the rap duo Insane Clown Posse have been illegally harmed by an FBI report identifying the Juggalos as a “hybrid gang.”

A federal judge in Detroit dismissed the case in 2014, but lawyers for the plaintiffs, in a suit backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, appealed the ruling. Oral arguments were made June 18 in a federal appeals court in Cincinnati, which is considering the case.

At issue: Whether the gang designation in a 2011 report — “National Gang Threat Assessment: Emerging Trends” — unfairly categorizes the rappers’ fan base as a criminal element. By using the “hybrid gang” label, the government is illegally “subjecting them to significant harm, including repeated police harassment and denial of employment,” according to the complaint.

via Soldier, recruit part of Insane Clown Posse lawsuit.

I’m actually sympathetic to the plaintiffs here, in spite of their appalling choice of fandom. Juggalos are primarily guilty of bad taste, not ongoing criminal enterprise.

Having said that, I cannot see any particular injury suffered by SGT Hellin that the court can provide relief for. Nor, with the information available just from this article, can we determine that Mr. Gandy was denied enlistment solely because of his ICP affinity and affiliation, or if there were other factors that lead to his enlistment being denied.