Creative 303 Redux: Another Win for Religious Freedom, by Charles J. Russo

Rather than extend the open-mindedness and tolerance they demand from others to those with whom they disagree, activists wish to impose their will on others via social engineering, brooking no dissent.

On June 30, 2023, in 303 Creative v. Elenis, a major win for free speech, the Supreme Court reasoned that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission could not enforce the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act to compel a wedding website designer, Lorie Smith, to provide her professional services to individuals formalizing their same-sex relationship. Smith declined the opportunity to work with the couple because of her religious belief “that marriage should be reserved to unions between one man and one woman” and “will not produce content that ‘contradicts biblical truth.’” The Justices explained that the Commission could not require Smith to work with the couple because doing so would have required her to violate her First Amendment rights to free speech and expression, albeit on an issue involving her religious beliefs. ….