HARRISBURG – The U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of First Amendment freedoms of Lorie Smith in the case “303 Creative v. Elenis,” rightly declaring that states cannot force a designer to create expressive messages with which she disagrees. The Colorado website designer defended her right to use her artistic talents in a way consistent with her religious beliefs. Smith is a Christian who believes marriage is the union of one man and one woman and she should not use her talents to create messages that violate her faith. Colorado officials ruled the state’s public accommodations law required Smith to design websites that would celebrate LGBT partners. She appealed through the courts before landing before the nation’s highest court. Harrisburg based Independence Law Center represented an amicus party in support of Smith. Jeremy Samek, Senior Counsel at the Independence Law Center said, “This is a monumental win for freedom of speech for creative professionals. Lorie no longer has to choose between her faith and her business – this decision will protect fundamental liberties for decades to come.”
LORIE SMITH
JEREMY SAMEK