The big stakes in the Supreme Court’s new LGBTQ rights case
VoxMAR 12 2023
The US Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in a case involving Denver-based web designer Lorie Smith. A conservative evangelical Christian, Smith is seeking an exemption from Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Act in relation to taking on LGBTQ customers.
Smith contends that the right to free speech enshrined under the US Constitution's First Amendment exempts artists – including web designers – from anti-discrimination laws, and that Colorado's law forces her to undertake work that conflicts with her religious beliefs.
Smith intends to expand her business ("303 Creative") to include wedding websites, and wants to tell the stories of opposite-sex couples "through God's lens" as she strongly believes that, "marriage is between one man and one woman — and that union is significant."
A ruling endorsing Smith's free speech arguments, intentionally or not, could lead to widespread discrimination against the LGBTQ community and undermine the entire purpose of anti-discrimination laws. If the conservative "artists" are granted a license to discriminate, they would be free to propagate bigotry and even legally hang out signs in the future that refuse to serve Muslims, African Americans, or women.
Should Smith, who serves LGBTQ clients in other areas, be imprisoned for her refusal to work against her religious beliefs? Denying Colorado artists the right to choose their customers could affect the fabric of the US's free and diverse society. The First Amendment doesn't give the state the power to coerce its citizens to renounce their religious beliefs in favor of views they don't agree with.