Supreme Court Rules Web Designer Can Deny Services To Same-Sex Couples

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

55% : The Supreme Court ruled Friday in favor of a Colorado-based web designer who's opposed to creating websites for same-sex weddings, saying the state's anti-discrimination law violates the First Amendment, a sweeping ruling that's likely to make it easier for business owners to discriminate against LGBTQ customers or other groups.
49% : University of Pennsylvania law professor Tobias Wolff noted in an amicus brief that a ruling in Smith's favor could mean that "any business that sells goods or services involving skill with images or words could argue for a similar exemption" to anti-discrimination laws, and liberal justices on the court noted during oral arguments that a ruling for Smith could lead to discrimination against other groups like Black or disabled Americans.
49% : The ruling is the latest in a string of recent decisions concerning religious liberty from the 6-3 conservative Supreme Court, including rulings last term that sided with a high school football coach who was punished for praying and ruled state funds should be allowed to be used on religious schools.
49% : The 303 Creative case also marks the Supreme Court's second high-profile case involving Colorado's anti-discrimination law specifically, following Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.
49% : Supreme Court Signals It May Side With Web Designer Who Wants To Refuse Same-Sex Couples (Forbes)303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (American Bar Association)Colorado web designer's First Amendment challenge will test the scope of state anti-discrimination laws (SCOTUSblog)
48% : In that case, which was decided in 2018 and brought by the same group as the 303 Creative case, the court narrowly ruled in favor of a cake maker who refused to provide services for a same-sex marriage, striking down the Colorado government's conduct in evaluating the baker's case.
47% : The court's overturning of Roe v. Wade means it's possible the court could overturn other rulings that were decided on the same legal grounds, including Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested in a concurring opinion.
42% : A bill that recognizes same-sex marriages -- even in states that could outlaw them should Obergefell be overturned -- was signed into law in December in response.
41% : The justices did not rule on Colorado's law itself, however, or give guidance on how other disputes over anti-discrimination laws should be resolved.
26% : Justice Samuel Alito insisted in the court's majority opinion in the Dobbs case that rulings like Obergefell weren't at risk, writing: "Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion."

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