Supreme Court indicates it could side with anti-LGBTQ+ web designer in key civil rights case

The Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case that could curtail states that seek to ban anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis.

Lorie Smith of Denver, Colorado owns 303 Creative, a web design business, and she sued the state preemptively to get a religious exemption to the state’s anti-discrimination law because she doesn’t want to make websites for same-sex couples’ weddings.

She says she “believes that God is calling her to promote and celebrate His design for marriage… between one man and one woman only” and her initial complaint – filed in 2016 – cited Bible passages along with legal arguments. Her case is backed by the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom.

This is the same law that Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips was sued over after he refused to sell a cake to a same-sex couple because they were going to serve it at their wedding. In that case, the Supreme Court gave him a very narrow victory on procedural grounds without dealing with the question of whether Christians have to follow the law if doing so would require them to treat LGBTQ+ people as equal.