Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 29, 2023 / 10:19 am
The U.S. Supreme Court is now expected to issue an opinion on Friday about whether a state government can force a Christian website designer to provide services for the creation of content that promotes same-sex weddings.
With the Supreme Court’s term coming to a close June 30, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis is one of four cases it has yet to decide. The decision could set an important precedent on the tension between the constitutional right to religious freedom and anti-discrimination laws meant to prevent discrimination against homosexual and transgender people.
Colorado-based website designer Lorie Smith, who runs her own studio called 303 Creative LLC, filed the lawsuit over a Colorado anti-discrimination law. The law in question declares it unlawful and discriminatory to refuse, withhold, or deny services for a person based on his or her sexual orientation.
The company, which is being represented by the religious liberty law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, argues that the state cannot force Smith or her company to provide services for homosexual weddings because that would compel her to promote a message that is inconsistent with her religious beliefs.