Supreme Court Backs Web Designer Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage
The decision also appeared to suggest that the rights of L.G.B.T.Q. people, including to same-sex marriage, are on more vulnerable legal footing, particularly when they are at odds with claims of religious freedom. At the same time, the ruling limited the ability of governments to enforce anti-discrimination laws.
The justices split along ideological lines, and the two sides appeared to talk past each other. The majority saw the decision as a victory that safeguarded the First Amendment right of artists to express themselves. The liberal justices viewed it as something else entirely — a dispute that threatened societal protections for gay rights and rolled back some recent progress.
In an impassioned dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that the outcome signaled a return to a time when people of color and other minority groups faced open discrimination. It was the second time this week that the justice summarized her dissent from the bench, a rare move that signals deep disagreement. Appearing dismayed, Justice Sotomayor spoke for more than 20 minutes.
“This case cannot be understood outside of the context in which it arises. In that context, the outcome is even more distressing,” she wrote in her dissent. “The L.G.B.T. rights movement has made historic strides, and I am proud of the role this court recently played in that history. Today, however, we are taking steps backward.”
President Biden called the court’s decision “disappointing” in a statement released Friday.
“I’m deeply concerned that the decision could invite more discrimination against L.G.B.T.Q.I.+ Americans,” Mr. Biden said in the statement. “More broadly, today’s decision weakens longstanding laws that protect all Americans against discrimination in public accommodations — including people of color, people with disabilities, people of faith, and women.”
Source: The New York Times
