Can Barronelle Stutzman, a Christian, run her flower shop in keeping with her faith? The Supreme Court — with determinative votes cast by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh — has effectively decided she cannot. “My faith is a part of every aspect of my life,” Stutzman said in a sworn statement presented seven years ago in a Washington state court. “I believe that God requires me to apply my faith in all that I do whether that is in my personal life or my business.” “In the mid-1970s, I began learning the art of floral design and creation at my mother’s floral shop in Connell,” she said. “In 1989, my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. So I purchased the business from my mom in 1996 and became the sole owner of Arlene’s Flowers, where I continue to design floral arrangements.” Over the years, Stutzman employed gay workers and did floral design work for gay customers — without discriminating in any way. Then, one long-time customer, Robert Ingersoll, asked her to do the floral work for his wedding to another man. “I tried to respond in the most sensitive way I knew how,” […]
