WASHINGTON, D.C. — Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang regarding the 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis, in which the Justices ruled that the First Amendment allows a free-speech exemption to Colorado’s existing nondiscrimination law:
“Today, six Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court decided to once again ignore years of precedent and public norms and allow a businesses a license to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people — a license this case was specifically engineered to create. This was, in essence, a fake case concerning an imaginary conflict that was specifically engineered to usher in today’s radical, reckless ruling that is out of touch with the majority of the country. We must remain vigilant not to succumb to this manufactured division. The majority emphasized that the ruling is limited to the facts of the case — in which an artist who purported to offer “original,” “customized,” and “tailored” creations in a manner “designed to communicate a particular message” that viewers would attribute to the artist. The most recent polling shows that more than two-thirds of Americans oppose permitting businesses to refuse service to LGBTQ+ people on religious grounds, and 8 in 10 support federal nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQ+ community. We also know the vast majority of business owners believe in treating all their customers with dignity and respect. This radical Supreme Court has again proven itself to be wildly out of step with the American people. This decision comes at a time when LGBTQ+ people are under attack across the country, with more than 500 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced and over 75 of those signed into law. Amid this legislative onslaught we are also seeing rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and increasing incidents of violence, intimidation, and harassment – leading the Human Rights Campaign to declare a State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans. We call on all fair-minded business owners to condemn discrimination and stand on the side of equality. LGBTQ+ people are family members, co-workers, business owners, classmates, and customers in every community. We will not allow this decision to roll back the equality we deserve and have fought so hard for, we will continue working side by side with our partners to ensure freedom and inclusion for everyone.”
“Today, six Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court decided to once again ignore years of precedent and public norms and allow a businesses a license to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people — a license this case was specifically engineered to create.
This was, in essence, a fake case concerning an imaginary conflict that was specifically engineered to usher in today’s radical, reckless ruling that is out of touch with the majority of the country. We must remain vigilant not to succumb to this manufactured division.
The majority emphasized that the ruling is limited to the facts of the case — in which an artist who purported to offer “original,” “customized,” and “tailored” creations in a manner “designed to communicate a particular message” that viewers would attribute to the artist.
The most recent polling shows that more than two-thirds of Americans oppose permitting businesses to refuse service to LGBTQ+ people on religious grounds, and 8 in 10 support federal nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQ+ community. We also know the vast majority of business owners believe in treating all their customers with dignity and respect. This radical Supreme Court has again proven itself to be wildly out of step with the American people.
This decision comes at a time when LGBTQ+ people are under attack across the country, with more than 500 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced and over 75 of those signed into law. Amid this legislative onslaught we are also seeing rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and increasing incidents of violence, intimidation, and harassment – leading the Human Rights Campaign to declare a State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans.
We call on all fair-minded business owners to condemn discrimination and stand on the side of equality. LGBTQ+ people are family members, co-workers, business owners, classmates, and customers in every community. We will not allow this decision to roll back the equality we deserve and have fought so hard for, we will continue working side by side with our partners to ensure freedom and inclusion for everyone.”
Public accommodations laws remain in force and continue to protect against discrimination. Nothing in today’s opinion suggests all businesses open to the public may turn away people simply because of whom they love.
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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org
