The U.S. Supreme Court may have opened a Pandora’s box with its ruling on Friday for a Colorado graphic designer who does not want to create websites for same-sex weddings.
for same-sex couples, despite the state's law barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, among other factors. The court agreed with Smith and her lawyers at the Alliance Defending Freedom that the state cannot compel Smith to express a view she opposes via a website she has created.
“Were the rule otherwise, the better the artist, the finer the writer, the more unique his talent, the more easily his voice could be conscripted to disseminate the government's preferred messages,” Gorsuch wrote. “That would not respect the First Amendment; more nearly, it would spell its demise.” The Supreme Court's ruling reflects that framing. Smith’s design services are “expressive,” the court said. As such, they convey a message about her views – and, according to the Supreme Court, that message cannot be controlled by the state.
Certainly, florists, photographers and videographers can contend that their services are as expressive as Smith’s website designs. In fact, at oral arguments Waggoner explicitly referred to photographs as an expression of the photographer’s speech, noting that Pulitzer prizes are awarded to the people who make images, not to the subjects of their photos.
“It means that any provider of expressive services is entitled to put up a sign saying we do not serve people with particular characteristics whenever they believe that serving those people would change their message,” Fletcher said. Conservative justices, including Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, countered with hypotheticals asking whether governments can compel public relations firms or speechwriters to provide services to clients whose views they oppose. Gorsuch asked, for instance, whether Colorado’s law would require a public relations firm to write a press release for the Church of Scientology.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nearly 1.4 million Texans could be impacted by U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking student loan forgivenessThe U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan is unconstitutional. The decision means that payments on full loan balances will resume in October, affecting nearly 1.4 million Texans.
Read more »
Opinion | Supreme Court tosses nearly 50 years of progress on racial equityOpinion by Ruth Marcus: By ending affirmative action, justices put the country in reverse.
Read more »
How does the Supreme Court work?Exploring why some recent decisions have put a spotlight on the Supreme Court.
Read more »
Local officials, leaders react to Supreme Court backing designer against same-sex marriageThe Supreme Court ruled Friday a Christain web designer had the right to refuse to work with same-sex couples on their wedding website. Leaders of Washington's LGBTQ community say they will work to ensure the state's laws continue to protect their rights after the ruling. Leaders of Washington's LGBTQ community say they will work to ensure the state's laws continue to protect their rights after the ruling.
Read more »
The Supreme Court Just Dealt a Major Blow to Corporate MandatesGroff is likely to boost an already robust anti-vaccine campaign, giving health care workers and other employees a legal weapon against ordinary vaccine requirements.
Read more »
How the Supreme Court decided major 2023 casesThe Supreme Court on Friday issued the final rulings of this term, rejecting President Biden’s plan to forgive roughly $400 billion in student loan debt. Here is a look at how the justices voted on key cases:
Read more »