Press Release: Free Speech Wins at Supreme Court!!

Washington D.C. – June 30, 2023: The U.S. Supreme Court held that Colorado graphic designer Lorie Smith does not have to create wedding websites for same-sex marriages against her sincerely held religious beliefs.

In a 6-3 decision issued today, the high court ruled in favor of Lorie Smith, who sued the State of Colorado over its “anti-discrimination” law prohibiting businesses that provide sales to the public from denying service based on a customer’s “sexual orientation.”

Jonathan Saenz, president and attorney for Texas Values stated:

“This free speech victory transcends even the marriage issue. It’s about whether the government can force people to support messages they don’t agree with and purge people and ideas from the marketplace simply because the government doesn’t like their beliefs. Every American has the right to speak freely, regardless of whether the government likes their beliefs. This win for Lorie is a win for everyone.”

Justice Neil Gorsuch, author of the majority opinion, wrote that “the Nation’s answer is tolerance, not coercion. The First Amendment envisions the United States as a rich and complex place where all persons are free to think and speak as they wish, not as the government demands. Colorado cannot deny that promise consistent with the First Amendment.”

Texas Values, is the largest and most effective state-based religious freedom and pro-family organization in Texas, and has led successful efforts to pass multiple religious freedom laws in the State of Texas including the 2015 Texas Pastor Protection Act, and the 2021 Freedom to Worship Act, as well a being part of legal Amicus briefs opposing unconstitutional sexual orientation and gender identity laws such as in Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

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About Texas Values

Texas Values is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.