The United States Supreme Court on Friday ruled that businesses in the country can decline to offer services to members of the LGBTQ community.
In a ruling for a petition that was brought to court by a Christian web designer based in Colorado, the court decided that the woman was within her right to decline to create wedding websites to celebrate same-sex relationships. Despite a Colorado law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, color, gender, and other factors, the court ruled 6-3 in favor of web designer Lorie Smith, ruling she can decline to develop websites for same-sex weddings.
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The Huffington Post reported that the Colorado-based web designer had not been asked to design a website for same-sex marriage in the first place. The ruling implies that those who are free to decline to provide what the court referred to as artistic services if doing so would be in conflict with their personal beliefs include artists, photographers, videographers, and writers. Businesses excluded from the country’s first amendment freedom of speech include restaurants as they do not offer ‘expressive services’.
The woman, Lorie Smith, said that not allowing her to decide whether she would work with members of the LGBTQ community goes against her right to free speech under the country’s first amendment of the constitution.
The ruling has been named as prejudicial and has been attributed to contributing to the notion that members of the LGBTQ community are second-class citizens in the country. The Supreme Court has also been called out by activists saying that this ruling will open doors for further discrimination against the LGBTQ community in the country.
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The United States President said that the verdict by The Supreme Court weakens long-standing laws that protect all Americans against discrimination in public spaces, including people of color, people with disabilities, people of faith, and women.
