Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Christian Graphic Artist’s Religious Beliefs
Washington — The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Christian graphic artist from Colorado who refused to design wedding websites for same-sex couples. In a 6-3 decision, the court found that the First Amendment prohibits the state from forcing the designer, Lorie Smith, to express messages that go against her deeply held religious beliefs.
All six conservative justices sided with Smith, while the three liberal justices dissented. Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered the majority opinion, stating that the First Amendment protects individuals’ freedom to think and speak as they wish, independent of government demands.
Gorsuch wrote, “If she wishes to speak, she must either speak as the State demands or face sanctions for expressing her own beliefs, sanctions that may include compulsory participation in ‘remedial . . . training,’ filing periodic compliance reports as officials deem necessary, and paying monetary fines. Under our precedents, that ‘is enough,’ more than enough, to represent an impermissible abridgment of the First Amendment’s right to speak freely.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented and read her dissenting opinion from the bench, marking the second time she has done so this term. Sotomayor wrote, “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.”
This decision marks a victory for religious organizations and individuals seeking relief from the Supreme Court’s conservative majority. It also resolves an unanswered question since 2018 about whether states can compel artists to create speech that contradicts their religious beliefs under public-accommodation laws.
The case was brought by Lorie Smith, a Christian graphic artist who stated that her beliefs prevent her from designing custom websites for same-sex weddings. Smith argued that Colorado’s public-accommodation law, which prohibits businesses from refusing service based on sexual orientation, violated her free speech rights by forcing her to express a message she disagrees with.
Smith’s web design business, 303 Creative, aims to create websites for weddings and express her religious beliefs about marriage being between one man and one woman. She also wants to include a message explaining her refusal to design same-sex wedding websites, citing her Christian beliefs.
Although Smith has not yet been asked to create a website for a same-sex wedding, she filed a lawsuit against the state after losing in the lower courts. The federal appeals court ruled that while her wedding websites are considered “pure speech,” the state had a compelling interest in ensuring access to her services.
The Supreme Court’s decision clarifies that states cannot force artists to create speech that goes against their conscience, upholding their free speech rights. This ruling comes after the court’s 2018 decision in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding but did not directly address the issue of businesses denying services to LGBTQ individuals.
With the Supreme Court’s rightward shift, concerns have been raised about potential erosion of LGBTQ rights. However, the court’s latest ruling emphasizes the protection of free speech and religious beliefs, providing relief to artists and business owners who hold religious objections.