Protesters are seen in front of the Supreme Court ahead of Friday’s rulings. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | July 3 (UPI) — Does a Colorado designer’s belief that marriage is between one man and one woman merit an exemption to state law barring discrimination against LGBTQ+ people? On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided 6-3 that the answer is yes : Requiring a conservative Christian business owner to create wedding websites for gay couples would violate the free speech clause of the First Amendment. Advertisement Creating a website constitutes an "expressive activity" protected by the First Amendment, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion , and Colorado’s anti-discrimination law would "compel an individual to create speech she does not believe." Thus, designer Lorie Smith has the right to follow "her conscience about a matter of major significance" and refuse her services for same-sex weddings. 303 Creative vs. Elenis is the latest of a trio of Supreme Court cases where conservative Christian plaintiffs have argued that they should have the constitutionally protected right to refuse service to LGBTQ+ people. In 2018, it was a Colorado baker refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding. In 2021, it was […]
