Last updated on July 21st, 2023 at 09:03 am
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Colorado graphic designer, Lorie Smith, who argued that she should not be forced to create wedding websites for same-sex couples due to her religious beliefs. In a 6-3 decision, the court held that the state’s anti-discrimination law, which prohibits businesses from denying services based on sexual orientation, violated Smith’s First Amendment rights.
Colorado’s anti-discrimination law, called the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), prevents businesses from denying services to individuals based on their identity. Smith contended that being forced to promote messages that went against her religious beliefs infringed on her freedom of speech.
Throughout the case, Smith faced threats and harassment, including putting her home address on social media and receiving death threats. Despite these challenges, she expressed that protecting the right to free speech was worth it.
This is not the first time CADA has been examined by the Supreme Court. In 2018, the court ruled in favor of bakery Masterpiece Cakeshop, which refused to create cakes for gay weddings. However, that case did not address the constitutionality of the law itself, but rather focused on claims of anti-religious bias in its enforcement.