The Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a Christian web design business who refused to design a website for a same-sex wedding.
The vote was 6-3, reflected the conservative-liberal divide among justices.
The ruling overturned a lower court’s decision that Denver-area business owner Lorie Smith was not allowed an exemption from a Colorado law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
‘The First Amendment’s protections belong to all, not just to speakers whose motives the government finds worthy,’ wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch for the majority.
‘In this case, Colorado seeks to force an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience about a matter of major significance.’
Lorie Smith is a Christian graphic designer who said her religious beliefs would make her decline requests to design wedding websites for same sex couples
A person protests outside the Supreme Court, Friday, June 30, 2023, as decisions are expected in Washington
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the minority dissent. She said the ruling was ‘profoundly wrong.’
‘Today, the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class, she wrote.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk