Colorado company at center of Supreme Court case
The U.S. Supreme Court is once again weighing in on a case from Colorado, pitting the rights of business owners against LGBTQ+ rights. A Colorado website designer says that creating websites for same-sex weddings would go against her religious beliefs.
Oral arguments took place Monday.
Wearing a pink coat, Lorie Smith of Littleton emerged from the Supreme Court to cheers from her supporters.
She told them, "My home state of Colorado made it clear I'm not welcome in that state and Colorado is trying to force me to create unique artwork to promote ideas in a system contrary to my faith in who I am."
But Justice Elena Kagan seemed to take issue with arguments by Smith's attorney, "If I understand you, you are saying 'yes, she can refuse' because ideology gets in the facts and that there's Mike and Harry and a picture of these two guys together."
Kristen Kellie Waggoner, Smith's attorney with the Alliance for Defending Freedom responded, "That is true if these two are announcing a wedding and if you believe the wedding to be false then the government would be compelling you to say something you wouldn't otherwise say, which makes it content-based."
Smith wants to be able to post on her website that she will not do wedding websites for LGBTQ+ couples.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser told reporters, "You can't engage in the practice which we have seen in our history, no Jews allowed, no Blacks allowed, etc."
State Solicitor General Eric Olsen told the justices, "All that Colorado law requires is that if you choose to offer a service to someone you need to offer that service to all."
Justice Neil Gorsuch of Colorado responded, "I will offer to write press releases for anyone, it's not who but it is a what."
A decision is not expected until next June. The case will be decided on freedom of speech versus Colorado's anti-discrimination law.
