Supreme Court allows Christian Web designers to refuse to create websites celebrating same-sex marriages; Here’s everything that happened

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Supreme Court sided with a Christian web designer from Colorado who cited religious objections for refusing to create websites for same-sex weddings. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Clarence Thomas. Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored a dissenting opinion, which was supported by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The recent ruling by the Supreme Court came in the case of 303 Creative v. Elenis. Lorie Smith, the owner of 303 Creative, aimed to extend her business to include wedding services and wrote a webpage explaining her refusal to create websites for same-sex couples. However, due to a Colorado public accommodations law, she was unable to publish the statement as the state deemed it unlawful.

The Supreme Court's decision, which is based on free speech principles, will have an impact on state public accommodation laws concerning businesses that sell «expressive» goods. This ruling marks another success for religious conservatives within the Supreme Court and may raise concerns among critics who worry that the court is targeting the 2015 marriage case for potential overturning. According to reports, Justice Neil Gorsuch stated that «the First Amendment envisions the United States as a rich and diverse place where individuals have the freedom to think and speak as they choose, rather than as the government dictates.» He further criticized Colorado for attempting to «deny that promise.» Justice Gorsuch emphasized that the First Amendment safeguards a wide range of speech, including forms such as pictures, films, paintings,