Los Angeles Times

Supreme Court leans in favor of a Christian website designer’s right to turn away gay weddings

Joseph Fons holds a Pride Flag in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building after the court ruled that LGBTQ people can not be disciplined or fired based on their sexual orientation, Washington, D.C., June 15, 2020.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Monday sounded ready to rule that a Christian website designer has a free-speech right to refuse to work with same-sex couples planning to marry.

The justices heard arguments in a Colorado case that posed a conflict between the First Amendment rights of a business owner and a state anti-discrimination law that gives customers a right to equal service without regard to their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

The outcome could cut out a hole in the laws of 22 mostly blue states that directly forbid discrimination against LGBTQ customers.

Several justices, however, expressed interest in finding a narrow ruling that could bolster the First Amendment rights of some business owners, without creating a broad new free-speech

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