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Politics Jun 30, 2023
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Southland elected officials and LGBTQ+ advocates Friday harshly criticized the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows a Colorado web designer to deny services to same-sex couples, calling the decision a major blow to anti-discrimination efforts.
“This extremist Supreme Court has ruled that LGBTQ+ people are now second-class citizens,” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, who is openly gay, wrote on his Twitter page in response to the ruling. “This is a dark day for our community and our country. Let’s be crystal clear, we are under attack and we need to fight back.”
The court, in a decision split on ideological lines, ruled that a Colorado graphic artist cannot be compelled to design wedding websites for same-sex couples. The ruling came in a challenge to a Colorado law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation. The web designer argued that the law violates her right of free speech, and she shouldn’t be forced to design sites for marriages that she says violate her religious beliefs.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the decision that the Colorado law abridged the designer’s free-speech rights, noting, “If she wishes to speak, she must either speak as the state demands or face sanctions for expressing her own beliefs.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, saying, “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.”
Joe Hollendoner, CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, issued a statement saying the Supreme Court decided to “legalize discrimination” and to “continue to impose a narrow definition of Christianity onto the American public.”
“Rather than reinforce secularism, which is foundational to our nation and our liberties, the Court is now allowing private businesses to openly discriminate against marginalized communities, which could include members of the Muslim faith, the Jewish faith, BIPOC communities, and beyond,” Hollendoner said.
Echoing other critics of the case, Hollendoner noted that the web designer at the heart of the case had never even been asked to design a website for a same-sex couple, and the lawsuit was launched as a “manufactured tactic” by “the same far-right, white Christian extremists who are helping to craft the 500-plus pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation ravaging the country right now.”
State Attorney General Rob Bonta denounced the decision.
“California’s unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community remains steadfast even in the face of today’s disheartening decision,” Bonta said. “We unequivocally reject any form of discrimination. While this ruling is a setback, we will continue and redouble our pursuit of equality for all.”
President Joe Biden called the ruling “disappointing” while noting that it came during Pride Month, “when millions of Americans across the country join together to celebrate the contributions, resilience and strength of the LGBTQI+ community.”
“While the Court’s decision only addresses expressive original designs, I’m deeply concerned that the decision could invite more discrimination against LGBTQI+ Americans,” Biden said in a statement. “More broadly, today’s decision weakens long-standing laws that protect all Americans against discrimination in public accommodations — including people of color, people with disabilities, people of faith, and women.”
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