Web designer Lorie Smith, plaintiff in a Supreme Court case who objects to same-sex marriage, poses for a portrait at her office in Littleton, Colorado, U.S., November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/ [1/3] June 30 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday is poised to rule on whether a Christian web designer from Colorado has a right to refuse to provide services for same-sex marriages based on constitutional free speech protections – a case that could upend state anti-discrimination laws. Advertisement · Scroll to continue During arguments in the case in December, the conservative justices appeared ready to rule in favor of Denver-area business owner Lorie Smith, who is seeking an exemption from a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and other factors. Lower courts ruled in Colorado’s favor. The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. The liberal justices during the argument said a decision favoring Smith could empower certain businesses to discriminate. The dispute, one of two major rulings the justices are expected to issue on the final day of decisions for their term that began in October, focuses on protections for freedom of speech under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. It pitted the right […]
