The key case for the rights of the LGBTQ community before the US Supreme Court.

A battle for freedom of expression or a case of discrimination against the LGBTQ community. The Supreme Court of USA debated on Monday whether Christian graphic designer Lorie Smith can refuse to create gay marriage websites.

As NBC News explains, lorie smith is a conservative evangelical Christian who opposes same-sex marriage and runs a business in Colorado web page design, including weddings. She sued the state because she wants to accept clients planning opposite-sex weddings, but rejects applications from same-sex couples seeking the same service.

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“Smith has not been penalized for refusing to design websites for these couplesbut filed the lawsuit on the premise that it could be,” says NBC News.

The AFP agency reported that during the long and tense hearing on Monday, three progressive judges from the United States Supreme Court they expressed objections for fear of opening the door to any type of discrimination in the commercial field. While conservative justices seemed to lean in favor of the request for lorie smith.

Lower courts ruled against Smithwhich led her to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The lawyer Kristen Wagoner, that represents the company “303 Creative LLC website”, of lorie smithsaid Monday that his client has the right to rely on the first amendment of the United States Constitution, which protects freedom of religion and expression.

Web designer Lorie Smith in her office Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in southwest Littleton, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

While the progressive judge sonia sotomayor said on Monday that if the Supreme Court ruling in favor of this graphic designer “would be the first time in the Court’s history that a company that serves the public is authorized to refuse to serve a client based on their race, sex or religion.”

It should be remembered that in 2018 the Supreme Court already narrowly endorsed a pastry chef Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.

This despite the fact that the civil rights law of Colorado guarantees that same-sex couples cannot be discriminated against in businesses open to the public.

The Supreme Court recognized the right to same-sex marriage in 2015.

According to the lawyer of Smithyour client “believes that gay marriage is false and could not believe the discourse” of a wedding website for a gay couplereviews the EFE agency.

The three progressive members of the Supreme Court expressed concern about the damage that a possible ruling in favor of the designer could cause in anti-discrimination efforts.

For his part, the attorney general of the state of ColoradoEric Olson, recalled that Smith He never managed to create a wedding website, so it is not possible that an unconstitutional event occurred, indicates EFE.

According to him, Smith it could adorn its websites with biblical messages about marriage “between a man and a woman”, but it cannot refuse to sell them to gay couples.

But several conservative judges defended the graphic designer.

The judge Amy Coney Barrett He said he might refuse to create wedding websites for heterosexuals who are divorced or have committed adultery.

“It’s the message, not the sexual orientation of the partner that matters,” he said.

Validating the Colorado law would be tantamount to forcing certain companies to “adopt speeches they despise,” added his colleague, the judge Samuel Alito.

“There are honorable people who oppose same-sex marriage,” he added, refusing to equate this with racist discrimination.

After the hearing on Monday, the judges will deliberate on the case and could issue a ruling at the end of June.

Source: Elcomercio